GLORY acquires K-1 video library.

[Leek]

NEW YORK, Sept. 18, 2013 /PRNewswire/ — GLORY Sports International has acquired the rights to the significant majority of K-1 programming, one of the best-known kickboxing promotions in the history of the sport. This new acquisition brings the total number of kickboxing programming hours under GSI's control to nearly 3,000.

Scott Rudmann, non-executive Director of GLORY, said, "We are delighted to have successfully acquired the Fuji TV portion of the K-1 catalog and to bring most of the historic K-1 footage into the GLORY library."

Specifically, GLORY has acquired these rights from the bankruptcy of FEG, the former K-1 promoter in Japan. The rights package comprises the K-1 events that were broadcast by Fuji TV in Japan, and includes the K-1 Grand Prix Finals from locations all over the world dating from 1993 – 2006 and beyond.

GLORY Sports International Acquires Rights To K-1 Video Library

 

[Rollermanskunk]

Lol

 

[Tayski]

that's some sick news. I was thinking of not renewing my monthly subscription until the next events, but I guess I will renew it

 

[effin]

Well, i guess this will help them a lot in filling those weekly shows they have planned with SpikeTV, can't think of a better reason for them taking this step.

 

[Tayski]

Well, i guess this will help them a lot in filling those weekly shows they have planned with SpikeTV, can't think of a better reason for them taking this step.

maybe also to increase the number of monthly subscribers to their website?

 

[INeedARemedy]

I wonder if that'll affect K-1 videos being available on youtube

 

[hoyle1911]

That's pretty cool. Would love to buy some DVDs or Blurays if they get released.

 

[controlyotroll]

Well K-1 died a long time ago imo Glory is the new K-1.. good for them.

 

[Snubnoze707]

Whammy!

 

[Stambe]

Finally !!! Now if Glory buys K-1 and rename it self to K-1 Glory (because K-1 brand is much more recognized than Glory and that will help with their product immensely) i think a new era of Kickboxing is upon us. I can hope

 

[Super Chinese]

LOL Hilarious.

What does Mike Kim have now? The guy needs to give up already

 

[DhakaMMA]

Oh God. K-1 is dead to me.... So one guy gets the name, and the other guy gets the history/library.... WTF.

This is all FEG's fault, and the rat bastard Tanikawa, whom i had been saying for years would drive the business to the ground. They certainly drove Sakuraba's career to the ground, now this shit.

 

[Super Chinese]

Oh God. K-1 is dead to me.... So one guy gets the name, and the other guy gets the history/library.... WTF.

This is all FEG's fault, and the rat bastard Tanikawa, whom i had been saying for years would drive the business to the ground. They certainly drove Sakuraba's career to the ground, now this shit.

Mike Kim is equally responsible. The guy acquired K-1 with not a penny to save his ass. Not even a plan. He took the premier name in kickboxing, and is making it look as an amateur competition.

 

[andyjeezy]

Great move for Glory who adds to there video catalog. They already have all of Fredrico Lapenda library who did all the old World Vale Tudo and early NHB shows across the globe and add all the RINGS Holland and It's Showtime and Ultimate Glory shows, its quite impressive. This will definitely work out for GLORY favor and they should flood Spike tv with best of K-1 series.

 

[JohnMc]

Great news. I hope they start putting out DVDs.

 

[Raylan]

I wonder if that'll affect K-1 videos being available on youtube

I really hope not. K-1's channel is one of the best on youtube. Classic fights all the way to the 90's with good quality + no commentary so you hear the crowd and the hits super vividly.

 

[DW HKL]

Oh God. K-1 is dead to me.... So one guy gets the name, and the other guy gets the history/library.... WTF.

This is all FEG's fault, and the rat bastard Tanikawa, whom i had been saying for years would drive the business to the ground. They certainly drove Sakuraba's career to the ground, now this shit.

See, most people aren't thinking when it comes to this deal.

The video library was still partially FEG's. If you look waaaay back at when the K-1 assets were transferred to Barbizon, before Kim bought K-1, there was nothing about the video library there. The video library was owned by both Fuji TV and FEG, as they technically had the production rights to them.

When FEG declared bankruptcy they lost those assets, which more or less put them on the market. I'm pretty sure that Kim had tried to acquire these video rights, which is why this took so long, but Viacom (Spike TV's parent) was what pushed Glory over the finish line in the deal with Fuji TV.

If anything, this is just for GLORY to be able to do best-ofs for certain fighters and to bolster their tape library.

It should be noted that this is Fuji TV broadcasts, which does not include TBS broadcasts, which were MAX and Dynamite!! shows. So GLORY doesn't have the full library.

 

[Snubnoze707]

Have the TBS broadcasts been acquired? Would be great for Glory to pick up all of the epic MAX events.

 

[DhakaMMA]

See, most people aren't thinking when it comes to this deal.

The video library was still partially FEG's. If you look waaaay back at when the K-1 assets were transferred to Barbizon, before Kim bought K-1, there was nothing about the video library there. The video library was owned by both Fuji TV and FEG, as they technically had the production rights to them.

When FEG declared bankruptcy they lost those assets, which more or less put them on the market. I'm pretty sure that Kim had tried to acquire these video rights, which is why this took so long, but Viacom (Spike TV's parent) was what pushed Glory over the finish line in the deal with Fuji TV.

If anything, this is just for GLORY to be able to do best-ofs for certain fighters and to bolster their tape library.

It should be noted that this is Fuji TV broadcasts, which does not include TBS broadcasts, which were MAX and Dynamite!! shows. So GLORY doesn't have the full library.

That's even worse. So now question remains who gets the TBS and and non-FujiTV videos?.... Is it under Kim, or will it go to someone else who is willing to dish out the money? It seems now K-1's history has been scattered in pieces instead of being under one roof. Please clarify, if you have any input on this.

I don't think GLORY is that wealthy of a company (none of the kickboxing orgs are), so something tells me Kim could have dished out the money to acquire the FujiTV library.

But it isn't just FEG, FujiTV themselves have been kind of scumbags in killing the fighting scene in Japan, starting with their abandonment of PRIDE over mere allegations. And now, selling K-1's video tapes to a foreign company. One would have thought they would atleast try to make an offer for bid to K-1.

This is smart on GLORY's part, but i doubt Viacom has been pushing for it themselves. GLORY however, knows that this video library would do wonders for their deal/show on Viacom. I think that's why they did it.

Too bad FEG couldn't make a deal with SpikeTV or Showtime or any other network for that matter. All they ever did was get a deal on HDnet and Eurosport, two networks that most people don't even watch. Even then it was always the networks who came to K-1, and not FEG/K-1 who went to the networks. Their whole business plan was based on Japan and Korea, they never had anything else, not even a genuine English commentary team; thats why they never released DVDs, which could have been a vital source of revenue. This and their matchmaking is why FEG sucks.

 

[Harukaze]

I wonder if that'll affect K-1 videos being available on youtube

First thing I thought when I read the news. I really hope not.
Aside from that, all I have left are old official VHS tapes of late '90s and early '00s Grand Prix events.