SPIKE TV has announced it will begin carrying live GLORY kickboxing programming after signing a multi-year partnership. SPIKE plans to air two hour events during Saturday nights beginning this fall.
Jon Slusser, SPIKE TV’s Senior Vice President of Sports and Multiplatform Programming and Andrew Whitaker, Chief Executive GLORY Sports International released a joint statement regarding the deal:
“We are thrilled to partner with GSI in bringing Spike TV’s audience the incredible action and intensity of GLORY’s fight league, which feature the best kickboxers in the world,” said Slusser. “Viewers will quickly see this as the perfect complement to our coverage of Bellator, the world’s leading tournament-based MMA promotion.”
“Spike has established itself as the home of combat sports in a way that is unique. Its audience will expect the most exciting ring action and we promise to deliver it,” said Whitaker. “Glory kickboxing is the next big thing and Spike clearly knows something about spotting aces in the sports programming space.”
The announcement comes on the heels of GLORY’s most recent event this past weekend in New York City. Only available by Pay Pay View and via delay on CBS Sports Network, GLORY 9: New York marked the promotion’s first plunge into the American marketplace. Aligning with SPIKE obviously provides GLORY with a much more lucrative programming platform. With SPIKE TV already the home of TNA Impact Wrestling and Bellator MMA, GLORY seems like a perfect compliment to their live action sports content.
According to MMA Fighting, a GLORY spokesperson stated an upcoming September event will be the last carried on CBS Sports Network. All future events, possibly as many as 14 in 2014, will be shown on SPIKE.
Just to save you the trouble of looking, SPIKE has Rambo and Return of the Jedi currently scheduled in their primetime Saturday night slots the next two weekends.
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