Viacom purchases Bellator Fighting Championships

Looks like "business as usual" as far as being on MTV2 for probably one more year.

Big news for Bellator. Could mean more of a promotional push over the next year with more money put into the promotion. I mean, Viacom has about 10 billion net worth. They have all these stations to worry about but this is probably the strongest/wealthiest parent company any other org has had outside of Zuffa..MMA speaking..i know Viacom is worth about 10 times Zuffa, but for MMA. Nobody has really been under such a high profile ownership umbrella other than UFC. Pretty interestng.

Report: Viacom Purchases Bellator Fighting Championships
Posted on October 26, 2011 by MMAWeekly.com Staff




Spike TV may have lost the rights to the UFC, but they are definitely committed to the mixed martial arts business.

Viacom, the parent company of Spike TV and other entities like MTV, BET and Comedy central, has purchased a controlling interest in Bellator Fighting Championships and will move the fight promotion to Spike TV in 2013.

The news was first reported by USA Today late Tuesday night.

According to the report, Viacom opted to not only remain in the MMA business after losing out on the bidding to retain the UFC beyond 2011, but to become players by owning a promotion and investing in its future.

Bjorn Rebney, the current CEO of Bellator, will remain in his role as the head of the promotion, but Viacom will now own the majority stake in the promotion moving forward.

The deal will see Viacom take over Bellator Fighting Championships, which is currently the No. 3 MMA promotion behind the UFC and Strikeforce, both of which are owned by Zuffa LLC.

The current plan is for Spike TV to become the new home for Bellator Fighting Championships, but that deal can’t begin until 2013.

Spike TV owns the rights to the current UFC library through the end of 2012. As part of their previous agreement with the promotion, they can’t broadcast another MMA promotion on their network until that deal ends. The UFC is moving to Fox and their subsidiaries starting in 2012.

Bellator currently airs on MTV2 and will continue on that network for the immediate future, but they’ve already begun to be imprinted on other areas of the Viacom family, like their preliminary fights airing on Spike TV’s website.

Viacom now commits to MMA on an even bigger level as owners of a promotion, with the long term goals existing around Bellator’s success



http://mmaweekly.com/report-viacom-purchases-bellator-fighting-championships

Smart move! Now if the big push from Fox works, Viacom can slowly garner fighters from the UFC and eventually challenge and be the biggest MMA company in the world...

First time a TV company has actually owned an MMA org, no?

This is big doings in two major ways 1)obviously power money exposure will help Bellator grow 2)Viacom can not have the rug pulled out from under it the way showtime did.

If Showtime/CBS want in the MMA game, they may look to do the same thing(now if only I was able to buy into proelite).

Will be interesting to see how long it takes b4 we see results in the form of roster upgrades.

This is a true game changer.

https://ninjasplace.forumotion.net/t14913p15-spike-to-air-bellator-pre-lims-online#254400

I win! Wolf loses.

OU wrote:

https://ninjasplace.forumotion.net/t14913p15-spike-to-air-bellator-pre-lims-online#254400

I win! Wolf loses.

Where is that sissy anyway?

LA too for that matter?

captain organic wrote:

OU wrote:

https://ninjasplace.forumotion.net/t14913p15-spike-to-air-bellator-pre-lims-online#254400

I win! Wolf loses.

Where is that sissy anyway?

LA too for that matter?

BBC said that Wolf's nephew was very sick at the moment. Not sure about LA? Don't think he is picking fights anymore which is a bad sign.

OU wrote:

captain organic wrote:

OU wrote:

https://ninjasplace.forumotion.net/t14913p15-spike-to-air-bellator-pre-lims-online#254400

I win! Wolf loses.

Where is that sissy anyway?

LA too for that matter?

BBC said that Wolf's nephew was very sick at the moment. Not sure about LA? Don't think he is picking fights anymore which is a bad sign.

I don't know what is going on with his nephew? He just said he was in the hospital and had to roll out when we were chatting the other day about the grand prix here. He will probably be on here today or tomorrow I would imagine.

Im starting to miss LA alittle bit now.

timthebim wrote:

Im starting to miss LA alittle bit now.

yea man, LA was a pillar.

I see Wolf doing shit all the time now on FB maybe he's just stuck on that. He'll be around. If not I'll put don't forget about us on his wall lol. I'll do the same to you beast if you stop coming around so be warned lol

hey sometimes shit happens I got sent to TX for awhile so I wasn't on here forever so I understand

Speaking of MIA posters. Where is Bird?
Last visit : Wed Aug 17, 2011 3:08 am

OU wrote:

Speaking of MIA posters. Where is Bird?
Last visit : Wed Aug 17, 2011 3:08 am

Yeah at this rate I may move up to 1 of the top 5 posters of this board. Maybe higher. No LA or Bird.

captain organic wrote:

First time a TV company has actually owned an MMA org, no?

This is big doings in two major ways 1)obviously power money exposure will help Bellator grow 2)Viacom can not have the rug pulled out from under it the way showtime did.

If Showtime/CBS want in the MMA game, they may look to do the same thing(now if only I was able to buy into proelite).

Will be interesting to see how long it takes b4 we see results in the form of roster upgrades.

This is a true game changer.

Too bad Showtime and CBS not long ago broke away from Viacom. It could have left premium and network open for Bellator as well as Spike TV