Bellator inks broadcast deal with Russia 2 sports network

Bellator Fighting Championship continues its push to reach new audiences.

Bellator on Tuesday announced a broadcast partnership with Russia 2 to televise its events throughout the country.

The new deal with start Sept. 28, making the partnership the largest MMA television deal in Russia.

Russia 2 – or R2 – is the largest sports network in Russia, reaching more than 83 million people.

"Over the last year, as the Bellator brand has experienced enormous growth and our talent team has signed the greatest Russian mixed martial artists in the world, the timing was perfect to align Bellator with Russia's leading sports network," Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney stated. "R2 carries the world's greatest sports to Russian viewers. So, aligning Bellator with this industry giant is another very exciting step forward in the evolution of the Bellator brand worldwide."

Along with the Bellator content it will provided starting in late September, R2's broadcast lineup includes the Olympic Games, English Premiere League soccer, Formula One auto racing and KHL hockey.

Additionally, R2's new Fight Club Channel will get Bellator programming added to its rotation.

"Bellator is the world’s leading tournament-based MMA organization, featuring the greatest Russian MMA fighters," Grigory Kovbasyuk, R2's executive producer, stated. "We are very excited to have partnered with Bellator to bring MMA’s most exciting competition to over 83 Million Russian sports fans."

Russian fighters like Andrey Koreshkov, Vitaly Minakov, Vyacheslav Vasilevsky and undefeated lightweight Alexander Sarnavskiy all recently signed with Bellator, joining standout Alexander Shlemenko in the promotion.

"It’s an absolute honor to now have Bellator airing in my home country of Russia," Shlemenko stated. "I take a lot of pride in my family and friends being able to watch my fights, and now everyone will be able to with this incredible partnership."

Bellator's seventh season begins Sept. 28 with Bellator 74 in Atlantic City, N.J.

http://mmajunkie.com/news/29961/bellator-inks-broadcast-deal-with-russia-2-sports-network.mma

This is interesting. One one hand it won't be good news to M-1. On the other hand it's great home exposure for the 14 Russian ex-pat fighters in Bellator. Bjorn won't try and hold events in Russia because Putin has made cage fighting illegal like it should be.

I wouldnt be too sure about that Dag. Bellator could be a great place for Russian fighters to go, and for overseas fighters to come from as far as M-1 is concerned.

Russia 2 is mainly concerned about producing a sports channel and the more MMA is better, this goes for both the broadcaster and for M-1. Unlike the UFC, M-1 has always welcomed other promoters and have worked with them. Bellator is another avenue of getting in the American market without working with the UFC.

As far as M-1 would be concerned, Bellator's main market remains firmly in North America while M-1 is is Eastern Europe. Bellator wont suddenly have 90% of events in Russia and M-1 wont be having 90% of events in America.

The only worry M-1 seems to have is when current contracted fighters renege on their contracts to fight in other promotions. This seems to be the only time they come down hard.

I think this is positive news. I don't know about the backroom politics, but I don't see M-1 and Bellator as inherently adversarial. We'll see where this goes, I guess.

m-1 better take care of their top fighters or they will loose them to bellator......this guys have been signing russian talent and will continue to doit, and the experience to fight in us soil is the big appeal for the fighters, they know that the income will be higher

I hope they can work together. Cross promotion would be awesome!

MR.WILLIE wrote:m-1 better take care of their top fighters or they will loose them to bellator......this guys have been signing russian talent and will continue to doit, and the experience to fight in us soil is the big appeal for the fighters, they know that the income will be higher

It wont be good for Bellator to have all russin fighters, M-1 has close to unlimited number of top fighters and new upcoming top fighters.

Big appeal wont be in America for long. This is good because more fighters will go back and forth between Russia and America. The best thing is that UFC wont get a bite.