CBS Sports is investing in women’s mixed martial arts and will air events from the all-female promotion Invicta Fighting Champions throughout 2024.
The network deal is a landmark for the small promotion, which currently lists just one champion on its website. However, Invicta FC is known in the fighting world as the premier female MMA brand, getting its start in 2012.
It is owned by Anthem Sports and Entertainment, a media company that also owns the Fight Network, GameTV, TNA wrestling, and AXS TV.
After parting ways with UFC Fight Pass in 2021, the promotion began airing its events on Anthem’s networks. It will now move to the much larger platform under CBS. Five events will air on the network for the remainder of 2024, likely as a trial period, but it is unknown if the deal reaches into 2025.
“CBS Sports is the perfect partner for Invicta FC,” President Shannon Knapp said in a press release. “By joining forces with their global platform, we’re set to bring our world-class events to an even larger audience. 2024 will be a landmark year for us, packed with unparalleled matchups and title fights exclusive to Invicta,” she continued.
“We are excited to showcase our world-class events and demonstrate why Invicta FC is the leading brand in women’s MMA, giving fans around the world a front-row seat to the action.”
‘Big networks put women’s sports on primetime TV to prove a point and bump their viewership up.’
Professional fighter and BTC Fight Promotions Champion T.J. Laramie told Blaze News that the deal was likely a move to prove a point about women’s sports.
“I personally don’t even know anyone who watches Invicta, it’s a subsidiary of a bigger company and most likely just taking a loss every year,” he explained. “If big companies like Bellator were in the red, I can only imagine what they were.”
“We’re seeing this more and more with the PC culture,” Laramie continued. “Big networks put women’s sports on primetime TV to prove a point and bump their viewership up.”
The first event to air under the new deal will be Invicta FC 55: Bernando vs. Rubin on June 28, 2024.
The card features Talita Bernando and Kay Hansen, both of whom have fought in the UFC.
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