International Fight League and STATS LLC Partner to Create “FITESTATS,” the Most Comprehensive, Statistical Program in the History of Fight Sports
-- World’s Leading Sports Information Provider Partners With the World’s Number One Team Mixed Martial Arts League to Create the Ultimate Statistical Analysis for Fans, Media and Broadcast Partners --
NEW YORK and Northbrook, IL - October 22, 2007 -The International Fight League (OTC.BB: IFLI), the world’s number one team-based professional mixed martial arts league, and STATS LLC, the world’s leading sports information provider, today announced the creation of FiteStats, the most comprehensive statistical analysis program in the history of fight sports.
“As a professional sports organization, we realize how critical it is to have consistent, in-depth statistical analysis of our events - something that has never existed in MMA,” said Gareb Shamus, IFL co-founder and CEO. “We have spent the last eight months working with STATS to develop this program, which will give our fans, our business partners, and all involved with the IFL the most comprehensive, up-to-the second breakdown of all that goes on in the ring.
The use of FiteStats will give everyone the chance to analyze opponents and take a lot of the guesswork out of who are the best athletes in the IFL. It will also give our fans and new business partners the opportunity to create fantasy leagues and other business opportunities by using factual statistical breakdowns to choose the best athletes.”
“STATS is very excited to collaborate on FiteStats with the forward-thinking team at IFL,” said STATS CEO, Gary Walrath. “We believe this is going to change the way Mixed Martial Arts is analyzed and understood and will be a boon to both the IFL and its fans all around the world.”
FiteStats will incorporate no less than 22 different statistical categories for an IFL fight. Those will include Standing stats such as Punches thrown and landed, kicks thrown and landed, and submission attempts and successes; Clinch stats such as punches thrown and landed, kicks thrown and landed, knees thrown and landed, submission attempts and successes and takedown attempts and successes; Ground stats such as punches thrown and landed, knees thrown and landed and submission attempts and successes. These will be in addition to regularly kept stats such as quickest takedowns, number of submissions, etc.
FiteStats will be available to IFL television viewers and fans in-arena during events, and will be kept on a cumulative basis throughout the 2008 season and distributed worldwide through all of STATS’ worldwide distribution networks and on ifl.tv. The IFL and STATS will also look to offer the patented statistical system to other MMA organizations, so that the sport can have constinent analysis for all organizations.
The IFL and STATS will begin using the technology for the November 3 Grand Prix at the Sears Centre in Chicago, which will have select fights shown LIVE on MyNetworkTV at 8 eastern/7central time. The two are also compiling the key data for the 2007 season, with a complete statical analysis available before the 2008 IFL season beginning in the first quarter of next year.
About the IFL
International Fight League™ (IFL) is the world’s number one professional mixed martial arts sports league. IFL has its headquarters in New York and offices in Las Vegas. For more information about IFL, please see: www.ifl.tv
Forward-Looking Statements: This release contains forward-looking statements pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which are subject to various risks and IFL’s management's expectations, hopes, beliefs, intentions or strategies regarding the future financial condition, and results of operations. There can be no assurance that future developments actually affecting IFL will be those anticipated.
Important factors that could cause actual results to differ (favorably or unfavorably) from the expectations stated in this release include the risks and uncertainties such as the conditions of the markets for live events, broadcast television, cable television, pay-per-view, Internet, entertainment, professional sports, and licensed merchandise; acceptance of the Company’s brands, media and merchandise within those markets; uncertainties relating to litigation; risks associated with producing live events; uncertainties associated with international markets; risks relating to maintaining and renewing key agreements, including television distribution agreements; effects of competition, including locations of competitors and operating and market competition.. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should any of the Company’s assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary in material respects from those projected in these forward-looking statements.
IFL undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required under applicable securities laws. This press release may include the opinions of IFL and does not necessarily include the views of any other person or entity.
The names of all International Fight League, Inc. televised and live programming, teams, images, and logos are trademarks, which are the exclusive property of International Fight League, Inc. All other trademarks and tradenames mentioned in this release are the property of their respective owners, and are not affiliated with IFL in any way.
About STATS LLC
With more than 25 years experience in mission critical sports data collection, processing and distribution - STATS is the world's leading sports information, content and statistical analysis company. STATS offers a world-wide portfolio of sports information solutions - including the company’s hallmark of real-time scores, historical sports information and turnkey fantasy sports operation along with AP editorial content, breaking sports news and photos. STATS’ innovative sports information solutions are utilized in numerous business segments: professional teams; sports broadcast production, cable and satellite networks; interactive television; broadband, wireless and internet; game developers and fantasy sports providers; print media and wire services. STATS has offices in Bangalore, Barcelona, Beijing, Chicago, Hong Kong, London, Los Angeles, Mexico City, Milan, Mumbai, Münster, New York, The Hague and Tokyo.www.stats.com
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