It was announced last night on “Inside MMA” that HDNet will soon air DREAM mixed martial arts events on its television network.
This news comes on the heels of word that Tokyo Broadcasting System in Japan yanked the DREAM primetime television deal because of lackluster ratings for the first-ever show last month.
No primtetime television exposure was the death knell for Pride FC overseas and it is possible that DREAM could endure the same fate in time. Hopefully, the recent deal with HDNet can keep DREAM afloat long enough to right the ship.
Here’s a snip on the HDNet partnership with DREAM:
“As part of this exclusive broadcast agreement, HDNet will air DREAM 1 and DREAM 2 on May 2 and May 3 respectively, truly making the first weekend in May a ‘DREAM Weekend’ for MMA fans. Both broadcasts will begin at 10:30 ET. HDNet and HDNet Fights will also bring the next four DREAM events - DREAM 3 on May 11, DREAM 4 on June 15, DREAM 5 on July 21 and DREAM 6 on September 23 - to American and Canadian audiences.”
Check out the commercial after the jump … it’s nicely done.
39 Comments »
Mark Cuban’s serious about having everything not UFC air on HDNet. You have to give him props…he doesn’t F around when he decides to do something.
Yeah, you can do a lot of things when you have money. Go figure, lol.
Problem is, I heard, DREAM lost their television contract in Japan. Thus, you have a Japanese organization that only airs fights on the net and in limited places in the US. This does not sound like a sound plan.
This dudes out for one thing and it aint just money, he wants to stick it to Dana King.
This Dana hate that is going on is ridiculous. Airing DREAMS on HDNet has no effect whatsoever on the UFC.
yuor right, dana has nothing to do w/this and this co. will fold before the year is out.
the japanese org that could be the new pride is world victory road. they’ve got some good talent there
Cuban does nothing second rate. I was sooo happy when he said he was getting into MMA. The Mavs are happy, the people of Dallas are happy, and now the MMA community is benefiting too. Truly awesome!
most people cant get hd-net even if they wanted to. so i dont see how the mma community is happy. im sure mmma fans in dallas are happy but thats probably a small % of all mma fans.
there are a ton of top providers who offer the channel.
great news. Mark Cuban knows how to get stuff done.
Awesome news, I hate having to search the net to watch those fights.
Finally we will get to watch Dream. i’m not a hgue fan of Mark uban but ill give him props for this move.
MMAMANIA, from all the reports I’ve read. DREAM lost their primetime television slot, not the television deal completely. While this is still a blow to DREAM, they will still be shown on TV via tape delay I believe.
All of these events will be previously recorded. Also I don’t know if Dream will be around for another year. One of my friends that lives in Japan says that no one there really cares about Dream, and he went to Dream 1 and said it was very boring. They just lost thier primtime TV slot and it’s only a matter of time before they losing everything else. The need to not spend so much money of crazy entrences and focus on the competition it’s self.
why so many props to cuban? this was a no brainer. hd-net is a fight channel and itsw supposed to do things like this. i’ll bet dse called him first not cuban orchastrating this whole deal. cuban is a smart buisnessman i’ll give him that, but this deal fell in his lap. if he was really smart he would give up the notion that he is starting his own mma org and signing randy to compete directly w/ the ufc. then may bee we could see some ufc on this network.
This is good news !
I’d be excited if I got HDNet.
b.w. you have one problem, if Dana White does something he’s the man, Dana White saved MMA, he brought it main stream. Mark Cuban does something it’s so, that’s what he’s supposed to do. Wasn’t that what Dana was supposed to do? Also didn’t you contradict your self? You said I don’t see how the MMA community is happy, yet you said if Mark Cuban would stop with his own org. maybe we could see the UFC on there. That would be a good thing to you wouldn’t it? Your a UFC, Dana White fan not MMA, you may love Dana, but to most MMA fans he’s got old. We care about the fighters, not some egotistic, self promoted, drama queen, that thinks he is Gods gift to mankind. Who also continues to oppress fighters, pay them chump change, while reports come out that Frank and Larenzo are billionaires.
i love all mma. i will admit that i am ufc biased and like dana, but i also have stated that he’s no angel either. btw the fertittas were biliionaires long before they helped build up the ufc. im telling you straight up that cuban is in this only to make a quick buck, just like calvin ayre, ed fishman and yes gary shaw. you do know who these guys are right? mr.mma. dana and the fertittas are in it for the long haul, so it seems since you are a dana hater, you are the one with the problem. go back to sherdog newb. please dont moderate me on this one mania, or how else would i be able to back myself up. he called me out, not i to him.
b.w. Her’s the problem with your post, first I’m not a newb. I have been following and a fan of mma since 93, I don’t kmow if you keep up with the news, but the Fertittas were just officially announced as billionaires. I am not actually a Dana hater, I just see him for what he is nothing more than Gary Shaw, Mark Cuban, Calvin Ayre, he’s a promoter, who fell into a dream, and was able to use someone elses money. I unlike some don’t believe that just because, has worked this long in the ufc that other companies don’t have the right, to have a shot to make money and promote mma. That without being bashed as though they should have to ask Dana’s permission. I mean really Ford motor company has been around for years, should someone have to ask to open a auto company. I mean truly if Dana cares so much about mma, why does money always trump mma, I’m not saying he doesn’t care a all, just that he very well may be no different than the rest, money first. Dana is not mma, he just runs a company, who’s product is mma. Don’t get me wrong, the man has been awesome for the sport, he just doesn’t own the sport.
dana and the fertittas have had billion dollar offers for the ufc that they paid 4 mil for.{dana owns 20% i believe). dana has been friends with frank and lorenzo since childhood, so i think they are in on everything together. you cant say that dana is a bad guy but not the fertittas. i have never heard them say anything in disagreement with dana or negative about him. so if money trumps all with these guys why dont they sell! 4mil to 1 billion , now thats a profit. pop quiz hot shot. you say your’e a fan since 93. alot of people know that year. who famously(back in the day) beat 800 lb emmanuel yarborough with an open hand slap and several strikes to the head after. any hardcore fan since 93 would know this answer. dont take too long though. if you know the answer i will apologize for calling you a newb. i dont know the result to every fight since 93 myself, but this fight was infamous.
keith hackney- beat emmanuel yarborough, in ufc 3 in 1994, there was only one fight in 1993 ufc 1 november 93- gerard beat teila tuli via soccer kick to the face knocked out a tooth. I did research, but I didn’t remember him fighting then and was caught off guard. If I failed the quiz I really don’t care I know how long I’ve been watching. Why don’t they sell? lets see, ufc grosses somewhere between 50 to 70 million an event, thats been reported, they probably clear 10 to 15 million an event, if not more. Just that is 120 to 180 million a year sounds like a good reason not to sell.
damned wikipedia! i will live up to my word and i apologize for calling you a newb.
b.w. Here’s the problem with your post, first I’m not a newb. I have been following and a fan of mma since 93, I don’t know if you keep up with the news, but the Fertittas were just officially announced as billionaires. I am not actually a Dana hater, I just see him for what he is nothing more than Gary Shaw, Mark Cuban, Calvin Ayre, he’s a promoter, who fell into a dream, and was able to use someone elses money. I unlike some don’t believe that just because, he has worked this long in the ufc that other companies don’t have the right, to have a shot to make money and promote mma. That without being bashed as though they should have to ask Dana’s permission. I mean really Ford motor company has been around for years, should someone have to ask to open a auto company. I mean truly if Dana cares so much about mma, why does money always trump mma, I’m not saying he doesn’t care a all, just that he very well may be no different than the rest, money first. Dana is not mma, he just runs a company, who’s product is mma. Don’t get me wrong, the man has been awesome for the sport, he just doesn’t own the sport.
DREAM = Nightmare…my DREAM would be for the roof to fall in at one of their events and a 300lb light would fall on CroFlop and put him out of his misery…I would rather watch my dog take a shit then watch their joke of an organization!
A couple things…
1) This is great news.
2) The Dana Hate *is* hilarious. Dana White is still outworking and outperforming the other promotions when it comes to acquiring and keeping the top talent, and that includes Mark Cuban. Face it, as long as Dana White is alive and able to work, the UFC will have little trouble stamping out the competition. Dana works non-stop every day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. He is the driving force behind the UFC acquiring and keeping the best stable of fighters - bar none - in the world, and that’s IN SPITE of his deficiencies as a public figurehead.
I’m glad there’s more access to DREAM fights, but don’t kid yourself. Being televised on a station most people don’t even have isn’t going to threaten a company that boasts GSP, Anderson Silva, BJ Penn, Urijah Faber, Chuck Liddell, Quinton Jackson…and that’s just to name a *FEW*.
I agree for the most part the UFC has the top talent, but thats because the UFC was the only place to be showcased on a big level. That now is changing, also Sylva, will most likely leave the UFC, barring he gets an astronomical amount of money, because he wants to box. Thats pretty evident, since even after Dana has said no, he won’t let it die. Also Chuck’s on his way out, Penn and Jackson just awesome, Faber has nothing to do with Dana, since Dana does not run the WEC. Lerenzo and Frank have expressed their desire to operate the two separately. Cory no disrespect intended, but you got that statement from Dana, he works nonstop everyday, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, he just said that, again self promotion.
just shut up, and go away!
zuffa owns the wec and dana has alot to do with faber. i read in one article that dana gave uriah a 10g bonus just for being a stud. i can guarantee you dana has something to do w/everything zuffa owned and knows every fighter in the wec and everything about them. a.silva wont leave, he’s under contract. and where’s chuck going, the ufc has made him a multi-millionaire and a true superstar. plus he’s one of danas best friends. your’e reasoning makes no sense.
First b.w. it’s pretty clear for you to understand, I’ll have to spell it out for you, get off Dana’s nuts, second lets see I said Sylva would leave barring he got a astronomical amount of money, lets see I’m pretty sure I was thinking of him negotiating a contract thats already signed. Do you think he’s under contract for life? Three being Dana’s friend does not keep you in your prime, Chuck does not have many more fights in him. So unless because he’s Dana’s friend, after he fights these last few good fights he has in him, Dana either keeps him while he loses, or feeds him cans so he will win, he’s on his way out. b.w. you really do get quite defensive over Dana, please calm down he doesn’t need a baby sitter, he’s an adult.
cant take the heat, stay out of the kitchen. remember you called me out! it’s spelled SILVA btw. i usually dont call out spelling errors, but thats twice you called him sylva. dont beleive me, just scroll up and look to yout left. it cant be a typo either cuz the y aint next to the i. you do know yout left from your right, right?
Actually b.w. I am not sure why you said for me to get out of the kitchen, I’m pretty secure in what I’ve said. Also sorry for the spelling error, I do know my right from my left but since I’m paralyzed from chest down, with only the use of one finger to type with I think I do pretty good. Also it’s spelled your not yout. now isn’t that funny.
if you are paralyzed from the chest down my bad about the spelling error.i know i make tons of them. anyway why do you hate dana so bad? is this still about the pride buy out?if so get over it. if you want to disagree w/ someone try being a little less offensive than your 1rst post to me. i like to debate as well but not argue. you know its possible to like dana amd the ufc and still be a mma fan.
It was great debating with you believe it or not I really enjoy it, jogs the brain but good night
ha! not bad for a boring saturday night. good night to you as well.
The end is near for Dream!
hdnet is all over canada
wow, I was really expecting so see John jumping for joy somewhere in this thread… Must of had a long weekend…