Bellator has signed a special UK broadcasting contract with the BBC’s national broadcasting network.
The agreement, which comes on the heels of the Bellator US broadcasting deal with Showtime, marks the first time a UK national public service broadcaster has signed a multi-event broadcasting contract with an MMA group, and they will see all Bellator events shown, for free, through the BBC iPlayer streaming platform throughout 2021.
The agreement follows on from the BBC’s coverage of the Bellator event in Paris in October 2020, which was a test for the network ahead of the newly announced partnership contract.
All Bellator events, including numbered events on Showtime and European Series shows, will be broadcast live, with event replays available upon request after the first broadcast.
It means UK-based fans will now have one home for Bellator content after surfing between the Sky Sports membership channel and Channel 5 for free, as well as online hop for pre-card fights on YouTube, to get the full Bellator action resolution throughout the year.
It is the first event of the Bellator 255 deal, to be held at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn., On Friday, April 2, with the partnership running throughout 2021.
“Every event on the largest network in the UK is a great opportunity for Bellator,” said Bellator president Scott Coker. “We look forward to working with the BBC to bring our talented talent and event schedule to a growing audience. ”
The agreement represents a major success for Bellator Europe CEO David Green, who established a relationship between broadcaster and promotion in 2020, leading to the historic Bellator event in Paris shown live on BBC iPlayer.
With a contract now on display to showcase all Bellator shows live, Green said: “We are delighted to be able to bring Bellator MMA action live to millions of UK homes on BBC iPlayer. We’ve been working hard to make all events from around the world available to UK fans, and it’s great to be able to call the BBC home for Bellator in the UK and for the sport. ”