Ken Hershman has stepped down from his position as executive vice president and general manager of Showtime's sports and events programming, reportedly in favor of a position at rival premium-cable outlet HBO.
Hershman, has long been considered a supporter of MMA and will apparently replace Ross Greenburg, who recently stepped down from his role as president of HBO Sports and was not necessarily a believer in the sport.
Despite his past support of MMA, Hershman and UFC president Dana White have often failed to see eye-to-eye, and the two have often traded verbal barbs in the media.
Hershman's departure was first reported by Broadcasting & Cable. MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) subsequently confirmed the report with company representatives. HBO officials have yet to comment on their reported relationship with Hershman.
The move comes at a crucial time for Showtime, especially in terms of the network's relationship with Strikeforce.
Less than one month ago, White said Showtime was facing a deadline to decide whether or not to extend a broadcast contract with Strikeforce, which has recently seen many of its top athletes depart for the UFC. White seemed optimistic that Strikeforce could potentially stick around if Showtime was willing to play ball.
"It depends on whether they want to seriously stay in the business, in the mixed martial arts business," White told MMAjunkie.com. "I think you can put on great fights on Showtime, if Showtime really wants to be in the business. If you really want to be in the business, then commit and get in the business. If you don't, then don't."
White has since declined to comment specifically on the future of Strikeforce, deferring instead to UFC co-owner Lorenzo Fertitta to handle the ongoing negotiations. UFC officials today declined to comment on Hershman's departure and how it could potentially impact the future of Strikeforce programming on Showtime.
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