ProElite to Rise Again?
When news broke of the UFC purchasing Strikeforce last week, one of the interesting aspects was the mention of ProElite (PELE.PK) as a bidder for Strikeforce. Other than a few minor press releases after the organization had been purchased by Stratus Media Group, the company had been totally silent. However, it now seems apparent that the company had been making moves behind the scenes during this “quiet” period. When Stratus purchased ProElite in early 2010, the first announced actions taken were the hiring of certain key personnel from “old” Pro elite. These were largely the management from the old company that were responsible for the positive achievements the company had made. Douglas DeLuca was appointed to the board of directors. His bio on the ProElite.com website highlights his achievements of having “negotiated and closed deals for ProElite with a number of media entities including Showtime Networks, CBS Television, Mark Burnett Productions, IMG, and Fox Sports Net.” He is also cited as having numerous accomplishments in the production of a variety of TV series, specials, and feature films. Mr. DeLuca can be a major asset in ProElite getting new television deals due to his prior experience within the industry Glenn Golenberg was also added as a board member. His accomplishments include his involvement in “…the financial services industry since 1966 and been involved in transactions that have historically included mergers and acquisitions, initial public offerings (IPO’s), financial restructurings, venture capital financings, and leveraged buyouts (LBO’s).” Mr. Golenberg is likely one of the key players for ProElite in negotiating with Strikeforce and other potential acquisitions. Keith Walner was hired as Senior Counsel/Vice President of Business & Legal Affairs. His experience includes “20 years of experience as an attorney and a business & legal affairs executive within the entertainment industry handling a wide range of matters for live sports and entertainment events, as well as media distribution for major network broadcast television, premium cable, satellite television, and pay-per-view distribution.” Among his duties for the company, “Mr. Walner oversees all company legal matters, including production, distribution, censorship, advertising, and rights clearance. He handles all content acquisition and licensing for all domestic and international events and distribution and manages the organization’s intellectual property rights.” Mr. Walner's expertise would seem to be essential in negotiating the legal aspects of new TV deals and other intellectual properties for the company. Obviously, these individuals were brought on board for their specific skills and experience. This would seem to indicate that ProElite has some pretty high aspirations for the company. Paul Feller (CEO of Stratus Media and Chairman of the Board for ProElite) has previously indicated his desire to produce international events. The company still owns rights to the Cage Rage and Spirit MC brands along with the EliteXC brand. Cage Rage produced quality fight cards in Great Britain for many years. Spirit MC had produced numerous event in S. Korea featuring mostly Asian talent. It will be interesting to see if ProElite revives these brands, goes with the old EliteXC brand, or starts a new brand. ProElite was able to become debt free before the purchase by Stratus and produces revenue thanks to deals made by the old CEO Chuck Champion. When Strikeforce bought some certain assets of ProElite, part of the deal was that ProElite would get payments from Strikeforce for each event produced until as late as 2013. Mr. Champion also made an agreement with Terry Trebilcock to allow King of the Cage to become an independent organization once again. As part of the arrangement, KOTC would make payments to ProElite for a specific period of time. It is known that CBS/Showtime had been a shareholder in ProElite as part of an arrangement with the old company and there hasn't been any indication that CBS ever sold their shares. Whether CBS has any influence with the new owners remains to be seen. Since recent reports of ProElite attempting to purchase Strikeforce have indicated the company made offers for the purchase of Strikeforce of up to $40 million in value (cash and equity), it appears the company has access to the funding needed to relaunch the once major organization. The negotiations to purchase Strikeforce also explain the silent period after Stratus purchased ProElite since the company would have to be very careful about any information that could be released during that time due to SEC regulations and such. There seems to be a huge opportunity in the world of Mixed Martial Arts now as the UFC's number one competitor (Strikeforce) is now under their control. At this point in time, there is no clear cut number two organization. If ProElite can relaunch with the kind of funding and expertise they seem to have available, it's possible they could once again become the major competitor to the UFC. ProElite is based in Los Angeles, California. According to their website, the company's mission statement is: “To empower the MMA community by rebuilding and strengthening ProElite to earn the respect of fighters and fans alike, while ensuring thrilling live events that showcase the world’s leading fighters.”
