Team mixed martial arts isn’t a new idea. The International Fight League folded under the financial pressure of starting a new promotion. However, this idea deserves another opportunity to be successful. Part one discussed the basic structure of the promotion, but this piece explores the possibilities for a television deal for a new team-based mixed martial arts promotion.
When it comes to the development of any type of sports organization, television time is vital. Television offers the opportunity to create revenue through advertising, and to grow viewership, which in turn provides legitimacy to skeptical fans and executives. Spike became a major launching pad for the UFC, and Bellator hopes to get the same result from MTV2; the potential is there for an upstart promotion to find a television network that is ready to invest in mixed martial arts. The first network that comes to mind is HDNet.
HDNet has already established itself as a television channel that reaches out to entities that may not be embraced by larger networks. The station features a wide variety of combat sports programming, including regional and Japanese MMA events, the studio show Inside MMA, and numerous kickboxing events. A team-based MMA promotion could flourish on HDNet if it is placed in a good time slot and given the right opportunity to find and grow its audience. The ideal situation would be weekly fight events, airing live on Thursday nights, that would feature four competing teams at a time.
The main issue with HDNet’s current mixed martial arts programming is that much of it is shown at odd hours throughout the night. This would be an important hurdle for a new organization to overcome. Further, showing any type of sporting event in a taped capacity will always be a bad idea, and one that would basically be a death sentence for this organization. However, it is also a bad idea to emulate Bellator’s approach of televising their weekly live events on Saturday evenings, because that is a popular social night for their preferred demographic. Thursday night is a good night for sports because it is easier to reach fans who are already on their couch or at the bar with televisions tuned to sporting events.
As mixed martial arts continues to push into the mainstream, the idea of a team-based mixed martial arts promotion should be re-explored. Though the idea has faltered before, with better planning and a better understanding of the risks and pitfalls of growing a successful MMA promotion, team MMA has the potential to become a successful venture. A partnership with a television organization is very important to that success, and HDNet would be a great place to begin.
