CBS, ProElite Partner on Mixed Martial Arts Programming

LOS ANGELES, February 29: The CBS Television Network and ProElite, an
entertainment and media company that specializes in mixed martial arts (MMA)
events, have inked a multi-year agreement that will bring the spectator sport
to U.S. network television for the first time.

CBS will air four MMA events per year, produced by ProElite’s EliteXC
fight division, as two-hour live prime-time specials on Saturday nights. The
agreement is a modification of an existing relationship between the two
companies that saw the EliteXC live MMA events broadcast on CBS’s Showtime in
2007. Events will continue to air on the premium cable network.

As part of the agreement, CBS Interactive and ProElite’s new-media
division, ProElite.com, will work together to develop interactive content for
both platforms, including CBSSports.com.

Mixed martial arts blends judo, jiu-jitsu, karate, wrestling and
kickboxing in a hand-to-hand combat competition. The events take place in a
caged or traditional ring and opponents must adapt their fighting style to fit
their adversary.

"Mixed martial arts
is one of the fastest-growing sports in the country and a wildly popular
entertainment vehicle for upscale, young adult audiences," said Kelly
Kahl, the senior executive VP of CBS Primetime. "It's original programming
for Saturday night; it's live, creating an event atmosphere; and it’s something
that hasn't been seen on network television, until now."

—By Ned Berke