MMA News: PFL Chairman Announces Massive Bellator Streaming Deal
Fight fans in the United States finally have an update on how they can watch Bellator after the promotion was purchased by the PFL last year.
The news that the PFL had acquired Bellator late last year signaled a massive shift in the landscape of MMA, although some fans were surprised to learn that Bellator would continue holding events under its own banner for at least the near future.
The promotion’s first card since the PFL purchase is set to take place this weekend, and PFL co-founder and chairman Donn Davis has officially announced that all of this year’s Bellator Champions Series events will be available to fans in the United States through Max, formerly known as HBO Max stateside.
This will mark the first foray into live sports for Max, but in recent years more streaming services have gotten involved with combat sports like with Prime’s partnership with ONE Championship and the recent news that Netflix will stream the Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson boxing match in July.
Davis’ announcement arrives just days before the first Bellator Champions Series event takes place in Belfast, and along with a vacant light heavyweight title fight in the main event the card also features Bellator legend Patricio Pitbull defending his featherweight belt against UFC veteran Jeremy Kennedy.
The news of Bellator’s partnership with Max at least provides some clarity on the immediate future of the promotion, but after how much success the newly-acquired fighters had at PFL vs. Bellator last month it will be interesting to see how the PFL chooses to allocate talent between the two brands going forward.
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