Major League Fishing Championships to Air on CBS Sports
OutdoorHub 04.01.14
Network to Feature Final Rounds of Bass Fishing Competition on May 11 and August 9
Jack Link’s Major League Fishing, a unique competitive bass fishing television show, will make two special appearances in 2014 on CBS Sports.
CBS Sports will televise the Championship Round of the Shell Rotella Challenge Cup on Sunday, May 11 at 3 p.m. (EST). The Championship Round of the General Tire Summit Cup will air on Saturday, August 9 at 1 p.m. (EST).
Developed through a joint effort between Outdoor Channel and two dozen premier bass fishing anglers in 2011, Major League Fishing brings the high-intensity sport of competitive bass fishing into America’s living rooms in the form of riveting one-hour TV episodes. Twenty-four world-class anglers are filmed over the course of a six-day event. The show captures their efforts as they utilize a demanding format that allows them to weigh all the “scorable bass” they catch. Unlike other competitive fishing events, leader boards in the boats allow anglers to know their standings at all times.
Produced by Winnercomm – an award-winning independent sports production company and division of Outdoor Channel – Major League Fishing features such renowned anglers as Kevin VanDam, Skeet Reese, Mike Iaconelli and Gary Klein. Ten Major League Fishing anglers have captured at least one Bassmaster Classic title. Major League Fishing anglers have also earned the Toyota Angler-of-the-Year crown in 19 of the past 22 years.
Entering its fifth season on Outdoor Channel, viewers have been enjoying Major League Fishing’s non-stop action since the series launched on the outdoor entertainment cable network in 2012. Outdoor Channel airs each competition in its entirety, including the championship rounds, followed by a tips and techniques episode featuring the finalists.
The amazing success on its home network, Outdoor Channel, has “set the stage for Major League Fishing to offer occasional, wider exposure on larger networks,” said Major League Fishing General Manager Jim Wilburn.
“There has never been a show like Major League Fishing, and because of the tremendous response we’ve gotten, we want to take this outstanding television series to as broad an audience as possible,” Wilburn said. “We are delighted to accomplish this through a partnership this year with CBS Sports, and we can’t wait to showcase our championships in front of Saturday and Sunday afternoon network audiences. The added exposure will be good for our product, and it will also be good for the entire fishing industry.”
The Summit Cup and Challenge Cup are the fourth and fifth Major League Fishing events. The Challenge Cup, the first of the two CBS Sports airings, was filmed on lakes around Denton, Texas. The Summit Cup, the focus of the latter of the two airings, was filmed on lakes in the Alpena, Michigan region.
“Owning and cultivating a signature event like Major League Fishing is part of our ongoing effort to attract more viewers and establish Outdoor Channel as a destination network for outdoor enthusiasts. Together with the world’s top pro anglers, we’ve created a sports organization that shines a spotlight on competitive bass fishing. We’ve turned the tournaments’ casting and reeling action into a thrilling TV series that we’ve watched mature and, now with this latest move to air the finals on CBS, reach a broader audience,” said Jim Liberatore, President and CEO, Outdoor Channel. “The show’s innovative format, along with the compelling and diverse personalities of the anglers, is sure to appeal to sports fans, not just fishing fans. And, we’re excited to air the fifth season of ‘Jack Link’s Major League Fishing’ in early April on our network, where we have an ongoing commitment to showcase quality outdoor entertainment.”
Major League Fishing angler Skeet Reese said, “I think I can say on behalf of all Major League Fishing anglers that we are extremely pleased with our growth, and a mark of that growth is the exposure we will be getting on CBS. It is a show of good faith that Outdoor Channel believes in our product enough to seek Saturday and Sunday afternoon network sports audiences.”
