Thursday, February 1, 2007

Exclusive Premium Television Arrangement Between Showtime and ProElite for Live MMA Events



LOS ANGELES (February 1, 2007) – Showtime Networks Inc., the premium television network unit of CBS Corporation, today said it has made an investment in ProElite, Inc. (PELE.PK). The announcement was made jointly today by Matthew C. Blank, chairman and chief executive officer of Showtime Networks, and David Marshall, chairman of ProElite.

The investment was made in association with a previously announced exclusive programming agreement between ProElite and Showtime Networks, and the introduction of ProElite’s newly formed Elite Xtreme Combat (EliteXC) organization EliteXC will enhance the fast-growing popularity of mixed martial arts (MMA) by staging world-class live events on SHOWTIME, the first premium television network to deliver the sport.

The highly anticipated debut event will air live on February 10, 2007 (10:00 p.m. EST/PST) on SHOWTIME from the DeSoto Civic Center in Southaven, Mississippi -- featuring a dream match-up of MMA legends Frank Shamrock and Renzo Gracie in the main event. In addition, SHOWTIME will televise four undercard matches -- including world-class fighters Antonio Silva, David Loiseau and Joey Villasenor. And in a groundbreaking move, additional undercard fights will be streamed live on the Internet beginning at 7:00 p.m. (ET) at ProElite.com -- a growing destination for the MMA community.

“We are honored to have a distribution partnership with Showtime and now the support of CBS,” said David Marshall, chairman of ProElite, Inc. “Showtime has consistently proven its leadership in developing and televising live sports. Together we are on the verge of launching the sport of mixed martial arts into mainstream America.”

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