SlamBall Inks Deal With CBS, Versus For End Of '08 Season
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| CBS, Versus Ink Deal To Air Slamball Games |
CBS has "inked a deal to telecast" SlamBall's championship title game in November, and Versus will "carry eight SlamBall games on Sundays starting Aug. 31," according to Michael Schneider of DAILY VARIETY. CBS will broadcast the final match of the "2008 SlamBall Championship Series" at 5:00pm ET on November 2 "right after the day's NFL coverage concludes." Six teams will compete during this year's shortened season. SlamBall owners, IMG Sports Media and Tollin Productions, "plan to roll out a full-fledged SlamBall league in 2009 across eight U.S. cities." The league also will "operate under a centralized office and will control four of the teams, with four more teams sold to local owner-operators." Tollin Productions Principal Mike Tollin said that SlamBall was "in active discussions with more than a dozen potential team owners." The '09 season is "set to launch during the July 4 weekend, soon after the NBA Finals, and will wind up with a September championship tourney." IMG and Tollin are "in discussions with TV partners for next year, as well as corporate sponsors." SlamBall "hopes to announce its 2009 broadcast and cable partners by the end of the year." Tollin said that "plans for SlamBall haven't been impacted by [IMG Global Media President Chris] Albrecht's recent departure from IMG." Meanwhile, IMG is "looking to break SlamBall into China, where it already harbors a joint venture with broadcaster CCTV" (DAILY VARIETY, 8/20).
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