Bellator on Spike TV: Viacom purchase paves way for 2013 network debut
by Jesse Holland on Oct 26, 2011 9:10 AM EDT
in Bellator FC News & Results
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This season, you can watch Bellator fights on Spike.com. In 2013, you can watch them on Spike TV.
Bellator currently streams its live undercard via the Internet and airs its main card offerings on MTV2. Apparently Viacom, the parent company of MTV, likes what they see.
So much so that it started writing checks -- big enough to get what will now be seen as the world's second most prominent mixed martial arts promotion on Spike TV airwaves starting in 2013.
Viacom, parent of MTV Networks, bought a majority stake in Bellator Fighting Championships and will start airing the promotion's bouts on Spike in 2013, the companies told USA TODAY this week. They've had ongoing talks for about a year as they finished up various deals, and over the past month finally reached the point where they could announce the news, Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney said.
Although Spike's agreement to carry new material from UFC ends in December, the channel still has rights to the promotion's library through 2012. As a result, fights from Bellator won't air on Spike until 2013, said Kevin Kay, Spike TV president. In addition to continuing Bellator's current practice of having two seasons annually, Spike expects to run additional programs such as highlight shows and related content, both on TV and online.
Spike TV is no stranger to combat sports, thanks largely in part to its previous relationship with Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), who used the cable television network as a proving ground for up-and-coming fighters on The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) reality show.
One door closes, another door opens.
The UFC is headed for greener pastures on the FOX network after Spike balked at Zuffa's increased licensing fees during contract negotiations earlier this year.
With the end of the Spike TV "Prelims" specials and various other MMA-related programming, the network has a pretty sizable gap to fill if it hopes to retain the 18-34 demographic that tuned in for televised fisticuffs.
Looks like Bellator will be the one to fill that void.
But will you tune in? How about it Maniacs, is more MMA action on free TV a good thing, or too much of a good thing? Any Bellator fans out there want to weigh in?
Opinions, please.
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Sorry LSC
Need you to take one for the team this morning
It is not enough to succeed. Others must fail.
No harm-no foul
plus your’s jad alittle more info then and it wasn’t junkie-linked it’s the better portion of the story.
S’all good Jesse
"with a good physique and explosiveness anybody can perform a takedown"
-RoBerto
by Lesnar's striking coach on Oct 26, 2011 9:21 AM EDT up reply actions
I'm glad, once Bellator is on Spike I'll actually be able to watch it.
"It is himself that a coward abandons first, after that all other betrayals come easily."
by doonerthesooner on Oct 26, 2011 10:05 AM EDT up reply actions
Wow
Viacom is a pretty big parent company to have behind you. Bellator is moving on up.
Statistics show suicidal people are a hundred percent more likely to kill themselves.
You know, some days I forget that I have a memory.
fuck another year of no HD mtv2
and I don’t get epix, not too many people do.
by biggant on Oct 26, 2011 9:30 AM EDT via mobile reply actions
Yeah me too. I hate watching it on mtv2.
Mtv2 needs to get a fucking hd channel.
UFC 137 Main Card Predictions:
BJ Penn def Nick Diaz by 2nd Rd TKO
Matt Mitrione def Cheick Congo by 1st Rd KO
Roy Nelson def Mirko Filipovic by SD
Hatsu Hioki def George Roop by UD
Dustin Jacoby def Brad Tavares by 1st Rd TKO
by MMA Boss on Oct 26, 2011 4:30 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Big money backers
The ballgame just changed significantly for Zuffa.
If Viacom decides to go all in on MMA, they will easily outbid the UFC on any and all prospects and free agents.
I don’t see it as a huge competitor anymore and here’s why:
When Strikeforce came along it scooped all the top names working random shows for DREAM, Affliction and regional shows. Once they got big the UFC bought Strikeforce and took the elite guys off their hands. Guys like Alistair OvereemJosh Barnett, Daniel Cormier, Nick Diaz, Gilbert Melendez, Dan Henderson and most of the heavyweights have or will likely be abosrbed in the near future.
Now let’s look at the best guys who may be free agents starting Jan 2012.
Heavyweight: Fedor (too much money), Jeff Monson, Josh Barnett (maybe), Gabriel Gonzaga, Tim Sylvia, Sean McCorkle, Paul Buentello
Light Heavyweight: King Mo (unlikely), Ryan Bader (another loss maybe), Glover Texieria
Middlweight: Tom Watson,Kendall Grove
Welterweight: Paul Daley, Nate Marquardt
just examples that abig ticket free agent would be hard to get as the money may not suit Bellator. Their brand of scouting in unknown jungles with NNR would be better suited.
"with a good physique and explosiveness anybody can perform a takedown"
-RoBerto
by Lesnar's striking coach on Oct 26, 2011 10:43 AM EDT up reply actions
All it takes is one elite name to jump ship
And everyone could follow. Remember this ia a business first. Offering guys a chance to compete for the 100k can be really tempting for all of the gusy making less than 25k per in the UFC (95% of them).
There is a reason Eddie Alvarez and Hector Lombard are in Bellator and not the UFC.
easy money? i kid i kid
"with a good physique and explosiveness anybody can perform a takedown"
-RoBerto
by Lesnar's striking coach on Oct 26, 2011 11:24 AM EDT up reply actions
Their is a reason they're there.
It’s called a champions clause in their contract, they can’t leave while they’re still the champ.
UFC 137 Main Card Predictions:
BJ Penn def Nick Diaz by 2nd Rd TKO
Matt Mitrione def Cheick Congo by 1st Rd KO
Roy Nelson def Mirko Filipovic by SD
Hatsu Hioki def George Roop by UD
Dustin Jacoby def Brad Tavares by 1st Rd TKO
by MMA Boss on Oct 26, 2011 4:44 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
No way.
Fighters’ dreams are not to win the Bellator championship. Its to get into the UFC and compete there.
Do not argue with an idiot. He will drag you down to his level and beat you with experience.
Most fighter's dream is to provide for their families.
Do you continue to fight for 8k/8k, or take a shot at winning 100k?
In the long rum being in the UFC still trumps that.
In Bellator they’re STILL getting paid that amount with a chance to MAYBE win the 100k all the while getting less from sponsors and bonuses.
The only ufc fighters that make that are tuf newbs or guys that don't stick around.
Bellator pays like shit. One fighter gets that 100k after a whole tournament. The ufc has an infinite amount more exposure so sponsors will pay fighters alot more than they would if they were on bellator. Bellator also is only on tv, not ppv. Their are major ppv dollars that bellator doesn’t see.
UFC 137 Main Card Predictions:
BJ Penn def Nick Diaz by 2nd Rd TKO
Matt Mitrione def Cheick Congo by 1st Rd KO
Roy Nelson def Mirko Filipovic by SD
Hatsu Hioki def George Roop by UD
Dustin Jacoby def Brad Tavares by 1st Rd TKO
by MMA Boss on Oct 26, 2011 4:43 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Dude you obviously have no idea how a buisness works.
You don’t just throw out big money to fighters when your product isn’t established. Look what happened to affliction, elite, strikeforce, etc….Bellator will not compete with the ufc for top fighters, they will compete for prospects. Bellator has worked thus far because they don’t have to pay big money to their fighters. They are trying to build something from scratch, they’re not going to abandon their buisness philosophy. Viacom wants to make a profit like anyone else, you don’t do that by challenging the ufc for stars. They’re in no position to do that, they don’t make big money. They’re on mtv and they get about 175k viewers right now, casual fans don’t even know they exist.
UFC 137 Main Card Predictions:
BJ Penn def Nick Diaz by 2nd Rd TKO
Matt Mitrione def Cheick Congo by 1st Rd KO
Roy Nelson def Mirko Filipovic by SD
Hatsu Hioki def George Roop by UD
Dustin Jacoby def Brad Tavares by 1st Rd TKO
by MMA Boss on Oct 26, 2011 4:38 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
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