Bellator added to the big boys?
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@opubco.com
Bellator Fighting Championships announced a partnership with NBC, Fox Sports and Telemundo on Tuesday to broadcast Seasons 2 and 3 of Bellator in 2010.
A little conflicted on this one. On one hand, it’s great to have a TV deal locked in place, and it lets fighters know it won’t be going away anytime soon.
But on the other, after doing gangbuster ratings on ESPNDeportes, you have to think Bellator was hoping for a spot on ESPN2 or somewhere like that.
I think it’s a matter of perception. When I see something on Fox Sports, I don’t get too excited. I’ll still watch because I have the sickness. But in terms of production values and things that add to a broadcast, hmm, it hasn’t always been Fox’s best asset.
Fox has had the International Fight League and PRIDE events before on its affiliates, so it’s not like it’s new to the MMA world.
From the press release:
“Since our launch earlier this year, there has been an overwhelming demand from MMA fans nationwide for us to broadcast our events live and through a widely available platform,” Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney said. “We are thrilled to have signed this groundbreaking agreement with FOX Sports Net, NBC and Telemundo, which will bring our unique and exciting brand of tournament-based MMA events to a dramatically expanded audience of both English- and Spanish-speaking fans.”
Under this new multi-tiered alliance, Bellator events will be distributed live in primetime on Thursday nights beginning April 8, 2010 on FSN and its regional sports network affiliates. The top moments from each week’s live events will then be condensed into an action-packed 30-minute highlight show, broadcast every successive Saturday night in the all night daypart on NBC, and a one-hour highlight show will air in Spanish on Telemundo every Saturday night from midnight to 1 a.m. Each of the three broadcasts will be aired in high definition.
In talking with Rebney before, he’s got a good head on his shoulders. And maybe the best thing he’s done with this is to have the live fights on Fox, and then shine it up all nice for NBC.
The goal (you would think) is for the NBC viewings to be the the ones that add the new viewers. The diehards are going to watch on FSN anyway, so it’s an interesting approach.
Bellator made a pretty big splash for a first-year MMA group in April with some fantastic fights and some even better finishes. The second season will start in April with another 12-week tournament. The third season is set to commence in August with another 12 weeks.
It took MMA back to its roots with a tournament setting and a fighter getting more and more money with each win.
Former Central Oklahoma wrestler Jared Hess made it to the finals of the middleweight tournament. He lost to Hector Lombard but was praised for his grit and toughness.
Bellator came to the Lloyd Noble Center at OU, and I was impressed with the setting and production. Hope to get in touch with Hess and get his thoughts about this agreement.
What do you think? Has Bellator officially arrived with this deal, or is it too early to make such a proclamation?
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