Canada’s Super Channel Inks Deal With SHOWTIME To Air STRIKEFORCEMMA Live Across Canada
EDMONTON (Dec. 2, 2009)—Super Channel, Canada’s only national pay television network, is pleased to announce an exclusive agreement to offer SHOWTIME Sports® telecasts of STRIKEFORCE Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) events live to viewers across Canada, beginning Saturday, Dec.19. On that night, undefeated middleweight (185 pounds) superstar Cung Le (6-0) will take on hard-hitting Scott “Hands of Steel” Smith (16-6) in the main event of a stacked fight card at HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif.
The live HD telecast of STRIKEFORCE: Le vs. Smith on Super Channel will begin at 10 p.m. ET and will include as many as five bouts.
“Super Channel is striving to offer Canadians programming they can’t get anywhere else and we saw an excellent opportunity in bringing live MMA to viewers from coast-to-coast and knew it would be well received,” said Sandy Perkins, Super Channel’s Vice President Programming. “We are very pleased to add SHOWTIME Sports® and STRIKEFORCE MMA to our roster with an exclusive deal and will be rounding out our Super Channel Fights! lineup. They are a great team to have in our corner.”
“Canadian fans have consistently shown a deep appreciation for MMA, so to have the opportunity to bring live STRIKEFORCE action to this market on a regular basis on an outstanding, high definition platform like Super Channel is very exciting,” said STRIKEFORCE Founder and CEO Scott Coker.
Also in action on December 19 will be 2000 Olympic wrestling silver medalist Matt “The Law” Lindland (21-6), who will take on fellow superstar Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza (10-2) at middleweight. Light heavyweight (205 pounds) star Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal (5-0) and middleweight knockout artist “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler (16-5) will each face opponents to be announced.
Le recently made a successful transition to acting and has since been touted as Hollywood’s next great martial arts action film star. In 2009, he played supporting roles in the science fiction thriller Pandorum, co-starring Dennis Quaid and Ben Foster, as well as the action film Fighting, which co-stars Channing Tatum and Terrence Howard. Next year, he will return to the silver screen in the motion picture adaptation of blockbuster video game franchise Tekken.
Le, who last month voluntarily relinquished the STRIKEFORCE middleweight belt he had claimed by dismantling MMA legend Frank Shamrock in 2008, has never lost a fight in his professional fighting career. He‘s perfect in MMA, kickboxing (22-0) and Sanshou (17-0).
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I find this confusing because I thought most Strikeforce events were already available on SuperChannel in Canada. At least thats what I remember seeing for the last few events when I’ve checked my guide to see if I can watch.
At least they’re not trying to sell it as a PPV for 50 bucks anymore. I like Strikeforce and wouldn’t mind paying a buck or three to see the events, but I always wondered what sane person would pay 50 bucks for a Strikeforce event when you could get a much better card from the nearly any UFC show for the same price.
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this is great news for me and everyone in the Great White North. And what perfect timing as well. I Can not wait for the Dec 19
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Good news, eh?
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Good!
Now I don’t have to hear anymore Canadians complaining about having to watch Strikeforce on PPV!
They can now enjoy the awesomeness of Strikeforce for free…just like us Americans
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awesomeness indeed
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Oh MAN am I stoked! Score one for the good guys! Now I just have to subscribe to Super Channel, but there’s a lot of other good programming there that makes it worth it. I am in MMA Heaven!
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hey Gass
Now I just have to subscribe to Super Channel, but there’s a lot of other good programming there that makes it worth it. I am in MMA Heaven!
exsplain that to my wife lol.
im still subscribing to it. I think of it as an early Christmas gift
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Right on, Moose! Actually, my wife likes MMA too. I am a blessed man…
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so does my wife as well but she loves money more
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As a Canadian I too am happy about this, I guess it’s time I pay for SC on a full time basis now.
I also heard that it’s pretty much a done deal with the UFC coming to Vancouver next year, finally I get to see it live at GM Place I’m pretty excited about that.
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vancouver??????ROAD TRIP
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Yeah, but I live in Ottawa. And cards in Montreal sell out so fast (less than a minute for the first UFC card) that I didn’t get to go.
And MMA bouts are still illegal in Ontario. S’okay though, I work with GSPs cousin.
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