Historic $3.6 million event slated for live telecast on Sunday, November 7.
LOS ANGELES, For the first time in history, FOX Sports and production partner Intersport, Inc., televise a major competitive bass fishing championship live when it broadcasts the $3.6 million Ranger Millennium M1 bass tournament, Sunday, November 7, from Florida’s Cypress Gardens. The historic event is the world’s richest bass fishing tournament, and offers the winning angler a potential $1 million.
The 90-minute broadcast will run either before or after that day’s NFL on FOX regional coverage. The program airs from 4:30-6:00 p.m. EST for markets receiving an early NFL on FOX game, and 2:30-4:00 p.m. EST for markets scheduled for the late game. The program airing at 2:30 p.m. EST consists of one-half hour of taped coverage and, for the first time in network history, one hour of live bass fishing tournament action.
“A number that is hard to ignore is that over 55 million people in the United States consider themselves anglers,” said Ed Goren, Executive Producer, FOX Sports. “Noting the high-profile companies already signed to sponsor this event, it is marketing friendly. That’s exactly what they were saying about NASCAR just a few years ago.”
“This is another huge development for competitive fishing and fishing overall,” said Irwin L. Jacobs, Chairman of Operation Bass, Inc. “There is no doubt that competitive angling is becoming one of the most popular sporting pastimes in America today, due to its universal appeal and accessibility.”
While production logistics are being planned, FOX Sports will employ a small army of radio frequency camera crews to follow each finalist during Sunday’s championship round and will catalogue every moment of the champion angler’s day. Each competitor fishes from a newly designed, special edition Ranger Comanche fishing machine.
FOX Sports is producing the telecast with Chicago-based Intersport, Inc. Intersport creates, markets and produces innovative television content, including the Compaq College Football All-Star Challenge during Super Bowl week on FOX; the College Slam Dunk & Three-Point Championships on the eve of basketball’s Final Four; and the State Farm Women’s Tip-off Classic and Honda Elite 4 Holiday Classic women’s college basketball doubleheaders.
“Exposing the competitive and entertaining elements of bass fishing to a national television audience on a fall Sunday afternoon will elevate this great sport to unprecedented heights,” said Charles N. Besser, President and CEO of Intersport, Inc. “This is a property that is sure to be one of the marketing success stories of the next decade and beyond.”
The format of the prestigious bass tournament is designed specifically for television, with the full field of anglers (200 in the Professional Division and 200 in the Co-Angler Division) competing for two days. The top 50 anglers from each division, based on the accumulated catch weight, advance to the second round of competition on Saturday. The field will be cut at the end of Saturday’s competition, and the top 10 professionals will move on to Sunday’s championship round.
The winner of the Ranger Millennium M1 bass tournament receives the largest cash award ever paid – a minimum of $400,000. If the winning angler has met each of the event’s sponsor bonus cash requirements, the winner receives $1 million.
The Ranger Millennium M1 bass tournament is the culmination of a yearlong qualification process. More than 20 bass fishing organizations throughout the United States are holding competitions to determine the participants to qualify for the premier bass tournament. Participants in this lucrative tournament receive their Professional or Co-Angler Division designation based upon their finish in the qualifying tournaments. The highest finishing Ranger boat owner, as determined by the individual organization’s qualifying criteria, is eligible to compete in the Pro Division, with the second highest finishing Ranger owner eligible to compete in the Co-Angler Division.
Sponsors of the Ranger Millennium M1 tournament include: Wal-Mart, Ranger Boats, CITGO, Evinrude Outboards, Garmin and Watkins Incorporated. Associate sponsors are: Black & Decker, Coca-Cola, EverStart Batteries, Eveready Flashlights, Land O’ Lakes, Wheaties, Hamburger Helper, Chex Mix, Fujifilm, Uniroyal, Wrangler, Coleman, Chevy Trucks, Fenwick, Berkley, Abu Garcia, Timex, and US Bank-VISA.