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All Eyes Are On Mixed Martial Arts

CBSIf a sport is officially labeled as legit once it signs a deal with one of the four main broadcast channels (ABC, NBC, CBS, and I’ll be nice and include FOX), then Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) is now legitimate. Elite XC, a company that promotes MMA, has survived based on its live events and programming on the premium channel, Showtime. That is all about to change.

ProElite, Inc., the title company to Elite XC, struck a deal last week with CBS on a multi year contract to air four live two-hour MMA events at a primetime time spot in each year of the contract. MMA content will also begin to be posted on CBSSports.com. The deal should put a lot of money into the pockets of the MMA producers and will be sure to bring a tremendous spike to the sport’s popularity. Apparently, IMG had its hand in the operation, joining ProElite with CBS.

But that was not the only huge MMA buzz circulating last week. The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) secured a title sponsor in Anheuser Busch. Expect to see a bunch of Bud Light signage in the octagon. Darren Rovell reports that the first time you will see Budweiser ads in UFC is May 24th at a Las Vegas event.

When a sport gains a big sponsor like Anheuser Busch and picks up a major network to broadcast its events in the same week, heads start turning.

By Darren Heitner

Darren Adam Heitner, Esq., is a preeminent sports attorney and the founder of Heitner Legal, P.L.L.C., a Fort Lauderdale-based law firm specializing in sports law, contract negotiations, intellectual property, and arbitration. He earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Florida Levin College of Law in 2010 and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, magna cum laude, from the University of Florida in 2007, where he was named Valedictorian of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Admitted to practice in the state bars of Florida, New York, and the District of Columbia, as well as multiple federal courts, Darren also serves as a certified arbitrator with the American Arbitration Association.

As an adjunct professor, Darren imparts his expertise through teaching Sports Law at the University of Florida Levin College of Law and Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) at the University of Miami School of Law in the Entertainment, Arts, and Sports Law LL.M. program. His scholarly contributions include authoring several books published by the American Bar Association, such as How to Play the Game: What Every Sports Attorney Needs to Know, and numerous articles in prominent publications like Forbes, Inc. Magazine, and Above the Law. His thought leadership in NIL has earned him recognition as one of the foremost experts by The Wall Street Journal, USA TODAY, and On3, and he has been lauded as a “power player in NIL deals” by Action Network and a “top sports trademark attorney” by Sportico.

Darren’s passion for sports law led him to establish Sports Agent Blog on December 31, 2005, initially titled “I Want To Be A Sports Agent.” The platform, created as a New Year’s resolution, has grown into a cornerstone of the sports agency community, offering in-depth analysis of industry trends, legal disputes, and agent-player dynamics. His commitment to the field is further evidenced by his representation of numerous athletes and sports agents, as well as his prior role as an Adjunct Professor at Indiana University Bloomington, where he developed and taught a course on Sport Agency Management from 2011 to 2014.

Darren’s contributions have been recognized with prestigious honors, including the University of Florida’s 40 Under 40 Award, the University of Florida Levin College of Law’s Outstanding Young Alumnus Award, and designation as the best lawyer in Fort Lauderdale by Fort Lauderdale Magazine. He remains an active voice in the sports law community, sharing insights through his weekly NIL newsletter and his X posts, engaging a broad audience on legal developments in sports.

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