Wolunt
07-29-2011, 01:56 AM
http://cdn1.sbnation.com/entry_photo_images/1658912/K-1__Logo__large.jpg (http://cdn1.sbnation.com/entry_photo_images/1658912/K-1__Logo__large.jpg)
It's been a long time coming. After a very tumultuous first half of 2011, K-1 (http://www.sbnation.com/mma/promotion/k-1)
has officially been sold. The rights to the K-1 brand have been
purchased by Japanese real estate company Barbizon Co. Ltd. Details are
still emerging, but it appears that Barbizon now owns the rights for
events under the banner of K-1 including the Grand Prix, as well as the
annual New Year's Eve show Dynamite!!.
Some of the other brands associated with K-1 were not included in the
sale: Dream remains business as usual, while K-1 Koshien (their youth
league) is now associated with one of their sponsors - Fields. Not
mentioned in the deal in any way was K-1 MAX, which is the only K-1
brand to have actually produced a show in 2011. That brand seems to
remain partially controlled by Japanese broadcast company TBS.
2011 has been a bad year for the long-standing company. After
wrapping up the 2010 Grand Prix, stories quickly began surfacing of
fighters owed significant amounts of money. Plans and press conferences
were announced, then cancelled, with the last six months amounting to
many promises of big things to come, but only one small K-1 MAX show
actually taking place. Many insiders, including fighters and K-1
management, have stated that the company could not continue without a
significant change, and that is exactly what has now happened.
This sale is huge news in the world of kickboxing, as K-1 has been
the dominant name in the sport for almost 20 years. But without many
details regarding the new owners yet going public, it's hard to
speculate on how this will impact the sport. Will Barbizon look to
continue producing shows using the same general format as K-1, or will
they attempt a totally new model?
From all reports, what does seem clear is this - K-1 is not suddenly
going to become a real estate company. It's likely that Barbizon is
working with other investors who will be handling more of the actual
operation of the new K-1. Who are those investors? For the moment, we'll
have to wait and see.
http://www.bloodyelbow.com/2011/7/28/2300775/k-1-and-dynamite-sold-to-japanese-company
It's been a long time coming. After a very tumultuous first half of 2011, K-1 (http://www.sbnation.com/mma/promotion/k-1)
has officially been sold. The rights to the K-1 brand have been
purchased by Japanese real estate company Barbizon Co. Ltd. Details are
still emerging, but it appears that Barbizon now owns the rights for
events under the banner of K-1 including the Grand Prix, as well as the
annual New Year's Eve show Dynamite!!.
Some of the other brands associated with K-1 were not included in the
sale: Dream remains business as usual, while K-1 Koshien (their youth
league) is now associated with one of their sponsors - Fields. Not
mentioned in the deal in any way was K-1 MAX, which is the only K-1
brand to have actually produced a show in 2011. That brand seems to
remain partially controlled by Japanese broadcast company TBS.
2011 has been a bad year for the long-standing company. After
wrapping up the 2010 Grand Prix, stories quickly began surfacing of
fighters owed significant amounts of money. Plans and press conferences
were announced, then cancelled, with the last six months amounting to
many promises of big things to come, but only one small K-1 MAX show
actually taking place. Many insiders, including fighters and K-1
management, have stated that the company could not continue without a
significant change, and that is exactly what has now happened.
This sale is huge news in the world of kickboxing, as K-1 has been
the dominant name in the sport for almost 20 years. But without many
details regarding the new owners yet going public, it's hard to
speculate on how this will impact the sport. Will Barbizon look to
continue producing shows using the same general format as K-1, or will
they attempt a totally new model?
From all reports, what does seem clear is this - K-1 is not suddenly
going to become a real estate company. It's likely that Barbizon is
working with other investors who will be handling more of the actual
operation of the new K-1. Who are those investors? For the moment, we'll
have to wait and see.
http://www.bloodyelbow.com/2011/7/28/2300775/k-1-and-dynamite-sold-to-japanese-company