Bellator Inks A Deal With HBO Max – ‘There’s An Incredible Demand’
Bellator has signed an exclusive deal with HBO Max, making it the home of its fights.
Bellator has experienced some significant changes recently. Last year, the PFL purchased the organization. Bellator’s previous President, Scott Coker, decided to leave the company, turning down the PFL’s offer to stay on. The venture was hoped to allow the most significant fights to be made. Both rosters from Bellator and the PFL could face off. It happened on the PFL vs Bellator: Champs card last month in Saudi Arabia.
PFL Buys Bellator
“It brings two big rosters together. Bellator have got some great fighters and you can argue that some of the guys in Bellator are the best in the world at that weight class. Unfortunately, of course, we know we’re not going to get to see a lot of those crossover fights with UFC champions but with Bellator and PFL champions coming together, I think it creates more interest for the fans and creates more conversation about where the best fighters in the world are,” Dan Hardy former UFC welterweight said
However, there was still one major issue that needed resolving. Bellator had been broadcast on Showtime. However, Showtime decided to stop broadcasting combat sports at the end of 2023. The move impacted other combat sports, including boxing.
PBC responded by signing a multi-year deal with Amazon Prime Video in boxing. Now Donn Davis and Bellator have said that HBO will air their content. This includes all their eight bouts this year. The deal also means HBO Max has all of Bellator’s previous fights to stream. HBO Max will implement a shoulder programming segment and pre-event and post-event shows for TruTV.
Bellator’s HBO Max Deal
“Following our historic acquisition of Bellator, Professional Fighters League is proud to partner with Warner Bros. Discovery for the highly anticipated Bellator Champions Series to stream exclusively on Max for fans across the United States, at no extra cost to subscribers when the global franchise launches on March 22.
“We’re excited for audiences to tune into Bellator’s new home on Max for eight Bellator Championship series events in 2024 taking place in iconic cities around the globe, featuring world title fights and the biggest stars in combat sports. There’s an incredible demand for premium, year-round MMA content from major media platforms and this is the latest milestone in PFL’s ambition to bring the sport’s best to audiences around the globe,” PFL CEO Peter Murray stated
The news also means that Bellator and the PFL could close the gap on their biggest rival, the UFC. While the UFC is still the most recognizable MMA outfit, the PFL and Bellator arguably offer fighters a higher purse. This latest deal may increase opportunities for further growth.
Full Card
March 22 – Champions Series Belfast – The SSE Arena, Belfast, Ireland.
May 17 – Champions Series Paris – Accor Arena.
June 22 – Champions Series Dublin – 3Arena.
September 7 – Champions Series San Diego – Perchanga Arena.
September 14 – Champions Series London – OVO Wembley.
October 12 – Champions Series Chicago – Wintrust Arena.
November 16 – Champions Series Paris – ADIDAS Arena
December 31 – Champions Series – TBD
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