Billboard Rec Sports DVD Chart - 5/17

1. WWE: Triple H: The King Of Kings
2. NFL: Super Bowl XLII Champions New York Giants
3. UFC: Best Of 2007
4. UFC 79: Nemesis
5. WWE: The Best Of Raw: 15th Anniversary 1993-2008
6. WWE: The Legacy Of Stone Cold Steve Austin
7. WWE: No Way Out 2008
8. 2001 FedEx Orange Bowl National Championship
9. TNA: Best Of TNA 2007
10. UFC: The Ultimate Fighter: Team Hughes Vs. Team Serra

Billboad Rec Sports DVD Chart - 5/10/08

1. WWE: Triple H: The King Of Kings
2. NFL: Super Bowl XLII Champions New York Giants
3. UFC 79: Nemesis
4. UFC: Best Of 2007
5. WWE: The Legacy Of Stone Cold Steve Austin
6. WWE: The Best Of Raw: 15th Anniversary 1993-2008
7. WWE: No Way Out 2008
8. 2001 FedEx Orange Bowl National Championship
9. UFC: The Ultimate Fighter: Team Hughes Vs. Team Serra
10. WWE: John Cena: My Life
    

ProElite Inks DVD Distribution Deal

ProElite has reached a multi-year deal with Image Entertainment to distribute four EliteXC titles and eight ShowXC titles annually. EliteXC Destiny (featuring Shamrock-Gracie) and Renegade (featuring the debut of Kimbo Slice) will be released on May 13. On July 22 the company will release Huntington Beach Bad Ass featuring Tank Abbot.

Billboard Rec Sports DVD Chart 5/3/08

1. WWE: Triple H: The King Of Kings
2. NFL: Super Bowl XLII Champions New York Giants
3. WWE: The Legacy Of Stone Cold Steve Austin
4. UFC: Best Of 2007
5. WWE: The Best Of Raw: 15th Anniversary 1993-2008
6. WWE: No Way Out 2008
7. UFC: The Ultimate Fighter: Team Hughes Vs. Team Serra
8. UFC 79: Nemesis
9. WWE: John Cena: My Life
10. WWE: Undertaker 15-0

4/19 Rec Sports DVD Sales Chart

Billboard's Rec Sports DVD charts for 4/19:

1. WWE: Triple H: The King Of Kings
2. NFL: Super Bowl XLII Champions New York Giants
3. WWE: No Way Out 2008
4. UFC 79: Nemesis
5. UFC: Best Of 2007
6. WWE: The Legacy Of Stone Cold Steve Austin
7. WWE: The Best Of Raw: 15th Anniversary 1993-2008
8. WWE: John Cena: My Life
9. WWE: Undertaker 15-0
10. WWE: Royal Rumble 2008
    

Everlast Announces Partnership with Couture

Today Everlast announced a partnership with Randy Couture. The deal represents another step for MMA into the mainstream of the American sports industry. Everlast is one of the largest and best known brands in sports equipment. From the press release:

This long-term partnership marks the commitment of Everlast to become the premiere brand in the fastest growing sport of Mixed Martial Arts. The partnership with Couture allows him to exclusively wear Everlast fight shorts, fight gloves, training equipment and training apparel. In addition, Everlast will be the exclusive equipment and apparel sponsor of Xtreme Couture Gyms, in all locations. Together, Everlast and Couture will collaborate on a co-branded line of MMA equipment that will set the standard for equipment and apparel in MMA. Additionally, the partnership will work on developing grassroots programs to teach the youth, and create fitness clinics and retail concept shops.

Growth of MMA Clothing Companies

Ontario's Peterborough Examiner recently ran a feature on the growth of clothing companies in MMA. The space has been inundated with new brands in recent years in what has become a lucrative, but increasingly competitive, space:

"Right now everybody who even thinks of a slogan puts it on a shirt," says J.T. Stewart, chief marketing officer for Cincinnati-based American Fighter. "You've got all kinds of people trying to eat at your market share ... Yeah, everybody wants a piece of pie, because it's a hot commodity."

"We were probably in the nick of time, I would say," Jim Baltutis, director of marketing for One More Round, said from Los Angeles. "I would sure hate to be a new company, trying to get some sort of presence, especially at retail. There's a lot of people knocking on doors right now."

Dana White on the root of the Affliction ban:

"I never had a problem with Affliction clothing until they took a picture of Couture and Fedor with no Affliction shirts on, but it looks like a fight poster," White told The Canadian Press.

"That was when I had a problem with Affliction. What happens is a lot of these guys start to lose their minds.

"Are you a clothing company or are you a fight promoter?"

4/5 Billboard DVD Chart & New IFL Release

Billboard Recreational Sports DVD Chart for the week of April 5:

1. NFL: Super Bowl XLII Champions New York Giants
2. WWE: The Legacy Of Stone Cold Steve Austin
3. WWE: Undertaker 15-0
4. WWE: The Best Of Raw: 15th Anniversary 1993-2008
5. WWE: Royal Rumble 2008
6. WWE: John Cena: My Life
7. WWE: The Shawn Michaels Story: Heartbreak & Triumph
8. UFC 78: Validation
9. TNA: Final Resolution 2008
10. WWE: Rey Mysterio: The Biggest Little Man

The IFL released "World Premiere Season: Road to the Championship" on Tuesday. The DVD is being distributed by Warner Home Video at a price of $19.98. From the box:

Renzo Gracie's Pitbulls took their team from worst to first in 2007, but they'll need every man on their roster to get through the league's best. Hours of incredible action. Unbelievable MMA bouts. One fully loaded DVD.

Affliction Commercial

Affliction Clothing is reportedly preparing for a national ad campaign roll out. A commercial featuring various fighters (MMA and boxing), musicians, and Affliction affiliated athletes is now available on the company's website. Featured fighters include Georges St. Pierre, Randy Couture, Quinton Jackson, Josh Barnett, and Fedor.

Billboard DVD Chart

Billboard Recreational Sports DVD Sales Chart for this week:

1. NFL: Super Bowl XLII Champions New York Giants
2. WWE: The Legacy Of Stone Cold Steve Austin
3. WWE: Royal Rumble 2008
4. WWE: The Best Of Raw: 15th Anniversary 1993-2008
5. WWE: John Cena: My Life
6. UFC 78: Validation
7. WWE: The Shawn Michaels Story: Heartbreak & Triumph
8. WWE: Rey Mysterio: The Biggest Little Man
9. NFL: Favre 4 Ever
10. UFC 76: Knockout