US pay-per-view broadcaster Showtime agreed a new broadcast and production deal with the Strikeforce mixed martial arts promotional company.
Showtime will continue to produce and broadcast up to eight live events in 2012 involving Strikeforce’s portfolio of fighters. Showtime will also show undercard fights for all Strikeforce events live on the Showtime Extreme channel.
The deal will start on January 7 with a series of bouts in Las Vegas that will be broadcast as part of Showtime’s Free Preview Weekend, which will open up the channel to more than 60 million US households for free.
Showtime has broadcast mixed martial arts since 2007 and started showing live coverage of Strikeforce contests in 2009.
In March, Strikeforce was acquired by Zuffa, the parent company of the Ultimate Fighting Championship mixed martial arts promotion.