The Ultimate Fighting Championship and Sony Six channel have confirmed a wide-ranging, strategic partnership, which brings the sport to India.
Six is the destination for all UFC programming in India, from live events featuring the biggest names in the sport to athlete profile shows, including ‘Countdown’ and ‘Primetime’. Six will also feature the greatest fights in the UFC’s 19-year history with ‘UFC Unleashed’.
UFC Chairman and CEO, Lorenzo Fertitta, said, “We are very excited to partner with Six as the UFC expands into India. We look forward to working with them to not only further expand the UFC’s fanbase here, but also to find and develop local talent and, ultimately, bring regular live events to India.”
Man Jit Singh, CEO, Multi Screen Media, the parent company of Six, said, “We are delighted to bringthe UFC - the fastest growing sport in the world - to India. India has a lot of appetite for new sports and we are confident that younger audiences will be attracted to the special programming of the Ultimate Fighting Championship on the channel.”
A cornerstone of the new partnership will be the production of an all-Indian edition of the ‘Ultimate Fighter’, the UFC’s long-running reality TV show where 16 of the most talented unsigned martial artists compete for a contract with the UFC. Casting for TUF India begins shortly and is scheduled for broadcast in 2013.