CAGE RAGE STRIKES TV DEAL WITH SKY SPORTS

By Stash Capar

It seems that Cage Rage 21 will become the first live mixed martial arts event to be broadcast on British television. According to a Cage Rage spokesperson, Sky Sports, a large UK broadcaster, will be screening Cage Rage 21 from 9 -11 PM on April 21, placing the leading local event in some nine million homes.

“Cage Rage and Sky Sports have confirmed the deal,” said Cage Rage promoters in a public statement made over the weekend. “Cage Rage Championships are pleased to further cement their relationship with Sky Sports and as the biggest UK based MMA event in Europe, have once again raised the bar to bring you another spectacular fight night from Wembley Arena.”

The development is big news for the London-based MMA promotion, which will be going head-to-head with the UFC next month. UFC 70 “Nations Collide” is scheduled for April 21 at the Manchester Evening News Arena in Manchester, England.

“We have worked with Sky Sports for about three years now,” said promoter Andy Geer. “But this deal is something else. When Sky Sports throw their considerable advertising budget at this event it will pack sports bars up and down the country and finally put our wonderful sport live in the homes of millions of people.”

Sky Sports currently owns nine different pay sports channels. These channels have 3.3% of the UK and Irish TV market combined, tallying up to some nine million viewers.

A Sky Sports spokesperson was initially unavailable for comment today.