Bellator Reportedly Leaving Paramount For CBS Sports Network In September

Recent reports confirm the rumors that Bellator will not renew their contract with longtime partner Paramount Network and leave for CBS Sports Network after September 12

Scott Coker
Scott Coker - Image via @ScottCoker Twitter

One of the biggest MMA promotion in the world could very well be opening a new chapter of the company.

According to recent reports from ESPN’s Ariel Helwani, Bellator’s last show on Paramount Network will be the September 12th card headlined by Juan Archuleta vs Patrick Mix for the vacant bantamweight title. After this event, Bellator will move on to their new broadcasting partners CBS Sports Network.

 

Bellator and Paramount Network are longtime partners. The promotion has been broadcasted on Paramount ever since 2013. Bellator ratings have notoriously been low over the last few years, especially since Spike TV rebranded itself as Paramount Network. 

The hope for Bellator would be that the move to CBS helps them regain their past audience but it doesn’t seem likely. CBS isn’t a giant of the market as their only major deals are with the UEFA Champions League and lower-level football games. 

An important part of the conversation is Bellator’s deal with DAZN, which is still ongoing. DAZN has been breaking a lot of broadcasting deals in recent months due to financial issues and their deal with Bellator could also be in jeopardy.

This move could be a way for Bellator to close the gap with the UFC in the MMA market in North America. But another failure would be a devastating blow to Scott Coker and his team.

Published on August 24, 2020 at 12:21 pm
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