Relativity Television Set To Tackle The Gridiron By Acquiring Legends Football League Rights

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif., April 3, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Legends Football League (or 'LFL'), which was recently called the 'US' Fastest Growing Sports Franchise' by NBC Sports, has awarded its reality TV rights to Relativity Television. Since premiering in 2009 as the Lingerie Football League, a seven-on-seven women's tackle football league, the LFL has become a global hit in the U.S., Canada, Australia and in 2015, Europe, where games played at major stadiums and arenas draw crowds in excess of 25,000. The LFL became MTV Networks' MTV2 top-rated LIVE sports series and is now broadcast to nearly 130 territories globally. 

LFL Films, the media arm of the Legends Football League, will oversee production from the league with Mitchell Mortaza serving as Executive Producer and Omar Mortaza as Producer.  Relativity Television's Tom Forman and Ellen Rakietien of Ellen Rakieten Entertainment (ERE), a division of Relativity Television, will oversee production.

"We have enjoyed amazing success in building the frame-work for a global sport. What we have lacked is the story-telling aspect of the sport and its athletes. With Relativity Television and Ellen Rakieten Entertainment, we have one of the most accomplished and respected groups in television. Having a partner in Ms. Rakieten, whose expertise in building properties that empower women such as the Oprah Winfrey Show and Trisha Yearwood, is invaluable," said Mitchell Mortaza, Executive Producer, LFL Films. 

The LFL is currently outpacing now billion dollar sports franchises Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) through each of the properties first four years of operation across attendance, growth and overall number of global television households. 

Forman, CEO of Relativity Television, is the Emmy Award^®-winning producer behind "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition," and currently oversees 24 original series currently on air, including the #1 television series on MTV, "Catfish." Rakieten has served as Executive Producer of the Oprah Winfrey Show and produces such series as "The Marriage Ref" (NBC), in partnership with Jerry Seinfeld, "Losing It with Jillian" (NBC), the Emmy Award^®-winning "Trisha's Southern Kitchen" (Food Network), and "Undateable," a scripted sitcom that will premiere on NBC this spring.

"In the business of entertainment and television, you always try to get a sense for the next big property that has potential for mass appeal. The LFL has developed into a global sport with these incredible athletes who lead very compelling, competitive and intense lives on and off the field. We could not be more thrilled to have the opportunity to showcase some of the sports' best untold stories," said Rakieten.

About Relativity Television 
Relativity Television, led by CEO Tom Forman, is one of the largest suppliers of television programming in the United States. Since its inception in 2008, Relativity Television has produced more than 750 hours of programming for more than 40 networks, including NBC, MTV, Showtime, A&E, Discovery Channel, Food Network and Disney Channel. In 2013, Relativity Television produced 36 series including "Catfish: The TV Show" (MTV), "The Great Food Truck Race" (Food) and "The American Bible Challenge" (Game Show Network).

Upcoming unscripted series include "Sex Box" (WE), "Guy's Grocery Games" (Food), "SHOP" (FOX Sports 1) and "Kim of Queens" (Lifetime). Scripted projects include "Creep Show" (SyFy), "Godfall," "Snakehead" and "Young & Hungry" (ABC Family), as well as series based on Relativity films Limitless, Haywire and Act of Valor.

About Legends Football League, LLC. 
Legends Football League (LFL) has reached incredible milestones since premiering in 2009 as a seven-on-seven fast-paced sport that has appealed to stadium and television audiences globally. In simply five years of operation, the sport has become the highest rated LIVE sports series in the history of MTV Networks' MTV2 and seen unprecedented growth. The sport has also become the first-ever women's individual or team sport to have been awarded a video game deal, produced international exhibition match in its 1st year of operation and launched international league play in Canada (2012), Australia (2013) and Europe (2015). 

As much success as the LFL has had in the US on television, the interest internationally has been even stronger with broadcasters in nearly 130 territories globally. In fact, the LFL is set to exceed the National Football League (NFL) in total number of international television households, fast becoming not only the preeminent American football brand globally, but one of the world's emerging sports franchises blending action, impact, and beauty. 

SOURCE Relativity Television