Stallone's 'Contender' may get second season

Sylvester Stallone's boxing reality series The Contender could be back for a second round.

The show, which averaged mediocre ratings at best, has not been renewed for a second season by NBC but undeterred producers are now planning to take it to another network instead.

Show creator Mark Burnett, who is also responsible for reality heavyweights Survivor and The Apprentice, said: "I've never had such pats on the back as I've had for The Contender. I'm totally committed to it. If NBC doesn't want to do it, we'll go somewhere else. ... The public wants more of these guys and our job is to provide it to them."

He said that although the show had ratings similar to the likes of Joey and Will & Grace, the comedies were preferred because they could make more money in syndication. "It's all about money," he added. "Those [other] programmes can make a lot of money for NBC in the future."

The show concludes its first season on ITV2 in the UK tomorrow (Monday).