MMA Story Helps “60 Minutes” Garner 16 Million Viewers, Top-Five Finish!
NEW YORK, December 14, 2006- Two of the International Fight League’s (OTC.BB: IFLI) legendary coaches, Renzo Gracie, world Jiu-Jitsu champion and coach of the IFL’s New York-based Pitbulls team, and Pat Miletich, coach of the IFL’s Moline, Illinois-based Silverbacks team, were prominently featured in Scott Pelley’s report on the growth of Mixed Martial Arts on “60 Minutes” on Sunday, December 10, on CBS. The show earned a top-five ratings finish for the week. The show also finished first in its time period in households, viewers and adults 25-54.
Among the key Nielsen Media Research figures released were:
• For the first time this season, “60 Minutes” finished as one of the five most-watched programs for the week” on Sunday.
• The program “finished the week at number three in households (10.5/17) and number four in viewers (15.83m).”
• “60 Minutes” had been in the top 10 four times this season, but in the top five just once.
The “60 Minutes” page on Yahoo.com received more votes and message posts for the MMA piece than any other “60 Minutes” sports story listed, including pieces on Dale Earnhardt Jr., Tiger Woods, Michael Jordan and the New York Yankees.
Pelley trained with both Gracie and Miletich, and the “60 Minutes” cameras were on site when their teams met at The MARK in Moline, Illinois, on September 23, the same night Gracie took on Miletich in the main event Superfight. The piece also featured UFC champion Matt Hughes, his career and his relationship with Miletich.
The IFL, the world’s first team-based professional mixed martial arts league, will hold the finals of its “World Team Championship” tournament on Friday, December 29, at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. Miletich’s Silverbacks will take on Olympic silver medalist Matt Lindland’s Wolfpack, while Gracie will battle world champion and coach of the IFL’s Toronto-based Dragons, Carlos Newton, in one of a series of additional Superfights.
About the IFL
Founded by real estate investor Kurt Otto and Gareb Shamus, chairman of Wizard Entertainment Group, International Fight League™ (IFL) is the world’s first professional mixed martial arts sports league. IFL has its headquarters in New York, NY and offices in Las Vegas, NV. For more information about IFL, please see: www.ifl.tv
Forward-Looking Statements: This release contains forward-looking statements pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which are subject to various risks and IFL’s management’s expectations, hopes, beliefs, intentions or strategies regarding the future financial condition, and results of operations. There can be no assurance that future developments actually affecting IFL will be those anticipated.
Important factors that could cause actual results to differ (favorably or unfavorably) from the expectations stated in this release include the risks and uncertainties such as the conditions of the markets for live events, broadcast television, cable television, pay-per-view, Internet, entertainment, professional sports, and licensed merchandise; acceptance of the Company’s brands, media and merchandise within those markets; uncertainties relating to litigation; risks associated with producing live events; uncertainties associated with international markets; risks relating to maintaining and renewing key agreements, including television distribution agreements; effects of competition, including locations of competitors and operating and market competition. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should any of the Company’s assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary in material respects from those projected in these forward-looking statements.
IFL undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required under applicable securities laws. This press release may include the opinions of IFL and does not necessarily include the views of any other person or entity.
The names of all International Fight League, Inc. televised and live programming, teams, images, and logos are trademarks, which are the exclusive property of International Fight League, Inc. All other trademarks and tradenames mentioned in this release are the property of their respective owners, and are not affiliated with IFL in any way.
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