The Bellator mixed martial arts championship's exclusive rights in the U.S. were obtained by Warner Bros. Discovery’s streaming service, Max, in a new deal with the Professional Fighters League.
After Showtime Sports closed, the Saudi-backed PFL acquired Bellator from Paramount last year for about $500 million.
The series will feature eight major events in cities worldwide, showcasing top fighters and two title fights at each event. It starts with Corey Anderson versus Karl Moore at SSE Area in Belfast, Northern Ireland on Friday at 1 p.m. ET, followed by Bellator Champions Series Paris on May 17 at the Accor Arena.
The remaining 2024 Bellator Champions Series schedule is as follows, with timings to be announced closer to the respective events:
- June 22 – Bellator Champions Series Dublin – 3Arena
- Sept. 7 – Bellator Champions Series San Diego – Pechanga Arena
- Sept. 14 – Bellator Champions Series London – OVO Wembley
- Oct. 12 – Bellator Champions Series Chicago – Wintrust Arena
- Nov. 16 – Bellator Champions Series Paris – ADIDAS Arena
- Dec. 31 – Bellator Champions Series – TBD
In addition to the eight global events, TNT Sports will broadcast Bellator content via its TruTV programming block, with details to be announced in the coming weeks.
Max subscribers will also have access to two exclusive docuseries, “Fight Camp Confidential” and “Fight Week,” which debut Thursday and take fans behind the scenes as fighters prepare mentally and physically for their matches.
Additional content available to stream on Max includes Bellator’s extensive library with over 300 events and 3,000 fights, along with pre-fight, post-fight, and original programming, featuring legends like Kimbo Slice, “Rampage” Jackson, Chael Sonnen, Wanderlei Silva, Tito Ortiz, Fedor Emelianenko and the full fight history of Bellator homegrown talent like AJ McKee, Johnny Eblen, Aaron Pico, Michael Chandler and Michael “Venom” Page.
“We are excited to collaborate with Professional Fighters League to present a new live sport to the U.S. Warner Bros. Discovery's streaming chief financial and strategy officer Josh Walker stated, “The addition of Bellator Champions Series offers our viewers a chance to see highly anticipated mixed martial arts, enhancing our diverse range of programming.”
“We're thrilled for audiences to watch Bellator events on Max for eight Bellator Champions Series events in 2024 happening in iconic cities worldwide, featuring world title fights and top stars in combat sports,” PFL CEO Peter Murray commented. “There's a huge demand for high-quality, year-round MMA content from major media platforms, and this is PFL's latest achievement in bringing the sport's best to global audiences.”
