Cage Warriors signs Ireland & UK broadcast deals with Setanta and Premier Sports

Cage Warriors Fighting Championship is pleased to confirm that it has penned deals with Premier Sports and Setanta Sports, which will see the broadcasters carry all CWFC events for the remainder of 2013.

Cage Warriors main cards, featuring stars like Jim Alers, Ronnie Mann and Che Mills, will air live throughout the UK exclusively on Premier Sports, the subscription channel available on the Sky platform.

Setanta Sports, which is also accessible via subscription on the Sky platform, will have exclusive rights to the action in Ireland, with events airing with a one-hour delay to avoid a clash with the station’s football programming.

Prelims will continue to stream worldwide and free of charge on Facebook, while event replays will be available for the world to watch on the Monday after each event on MMAjunkie.com.

The agreement with Premier Sports and Setanta Sports launches a week on Saturday, July 6, when Cage Warriors 56 will be broadcast from The Forum in London.

Richard Webb, COO of Premier Sports, said: “We’re delighted to welcome back Cage Warriors to the channel. The mixed martial arts promotion is widely regarded to have the best fighters and production values of any in Europe and we look forward to bringing viewers live action every month on Saturday evenings.”

In addition to broadcasting future events, both Premier Sports and Setanta Sports will have access to the Cage Warriors archives, allowing the broadcasters to screen replays of the best action from past events.

Cage Warriors has already confirmed a further six events for its 2013 schedule for the coming months, with more still to be announced.

“Cage Warriors Fighting Championship is the leading and most consistent MMA product in Europe, so I’m pleased that we’ll be back on TV screens in the UK and Ireland again,” Cage Warriors CEO Graham Boylan said.

“We have a high-quality product and networks should have to meet our valuation of that product if they wish to broadcast it. Premier Sports and Setanta Sports are committed to the growth of MMA so I’m glad that they’ve decided to do so.

“With the exception of the UFC, Cage Warriors hosts more international events than any other promotion, making us one of the busiest in the world. More than half of the best fighters in the UK and Ireland are also signed to Cage Warriors, so with the backing of Premier Sports and Setanta Sports we can continue to progress.”