On Monday (Nov. 20), one month after announcing the closure of Showtime Sports at the end of the year, Paramount Global sold its mixed martial arts Bellator franchise to the Saudi-backed Professional Fighters League.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Paramount has owned Bellator since 2011 and holds a minority stake in the franchise. Showtime, a Paramount company, has been broadcasting and offering pay-per-view Bellator events since 2021.
The five-year-old PFL will add Bellator to its four existing MMA franchises, including PFL League Season, PFL PPV Superfight, PFL Challenger Series and PFL International League. The company plans to offer eight Bellator fight events annually as part of the Bellator International Champions Series.
PFL is also considering hosting a major event in 2024 with PFL Champions vs. Bellator Champions. PFL founder and chairman Don Davis said the deal puts PFL in an advantageous position against category leader UFC, which is owned by Endeavor Group Holdings.
“PFL is now a world powerhouse in MMA,” PFL Founder and Chairman Don Davis said in a statement. “The acquisition of Bellator further strengthens his PFL mission to innovate the sport and be a co-leader in the industry.”
The deal comes amid Paramount’s plans to shut down Showtime Sports and its live mixed martial arts and boxing events at the end of 2023. Showtime will broadcast the final regular pay-per-view boxing event featuring David Benavidez vs. Demetrious Andrade on Saturday (November 25). Middleweight championship match.
