No more tape delays for Bellator MMA, new deal with DAZN announced
Bellator MMA officials held a special press conference today at the Viacom NYC headquarters in New York, New York to announce something mixed martial arts fans have long been awaiting. Bellator will no longer hold overseas shows that air hours later after the event has concluded. Yes, no more tape delays for Bellator MMA.
A “nine-figure, multi-year distribution deal” with sports streaming service DAZN will feature seven exclusive events per year, as well as another 15 events that are simulcast in the U.S. on Paramount Network and DAZN.
The first event where this new partnership will take place will be on September 29 event at SAP Center in San Jose, California.
DAZN is currently available in Austria, Canada, Germany, Japan and Switzerland and will debut in the U.S. prior to the September 29 fight card.
“This exciting new partnership with DAZN is a game-changer for Bellator,” Bellator President Scott Coker stated. “The investment will enable us to continue expanding our roster with free agents that make sense so we can put on pay-per-view-worthy fight cards that fans will want to see. Plus, on DAZN’s worldwide platform, our fights will be seen live for the first time to new audiences around the globe.”
Here’s something worth noting however. While the event may stream live on DAZN, overseas fight cards may still broadcast via tape delay on Paramount. So, if you absolutely want to see it live, you have to take advantage of the DAZN service.
The main event of the San Jose fight card pairs Bellator middleweight champion Gegard Mousasi against Canadian challenger and welterweight champion Rory MacDonald. The co-main event is a heavyweight fight and fourth fight between Quinton Jackson and Wanderlei Silva. Also, a recently announced welterweight grand prix will be launched.
