BBC Renews Bellator Mma Coverage Deal
The BBC has extended a deal to show coverage of events organised by Bellator MMA, the mixed martial arts promotion.
The BBC Three channel and the BBC iPlayer digital service will offer live coverage of Bellator events that take place outside the United States this year. Events that are staged in the US will be available on the iPlayer.
Bellator news, features and results will also be aired regularly across BBC Sport’s digital platforms, including the BBC Sport website and mobile app.
The new agreement was reached after the BBC and Bellator collaborated successfully in 2021.
Head of Bellator MMA Europe, David Green, said, “We’ve enjoyed an incredibly successful first year partnered with the broadcaster and we’re looking forward to reaching millions more UK homes as part of an exciting new channel.
“We’ve worked incredibly hard to bring live action from this amazing sport to as many people in the UK as possible, and this is yet another landmark step on that journey.”
BBC Three’s coverage will begin with a triple-header of European cards, starting with Bellator’s return to Dublin’s 3Arena on 25th February, with the card featuring a middleweight title fight between big-name fighters Gegard Mousasi and Austin Vanderford.
Further events in Paris on 6th May and London on 13th May will also be shown live.
President of Bellator MMA, Scott Coker, added, “I’m so excited by the continued growth of MMA in the UK and delighted that we’ll continue to enjoy the support of the BBC by bringing our events live to existing British fans and new audiences in 2022.”
Image credit: Lucas Noonon via Bellator MMA
