FME Picks Up Bellator Rights

LONDON/CHICAGO: FremantleMedia Enterprises (FME) has secured a global rights deal to exclusively represent the Bellator Fighting Championships’ international TV distribution rights, as well as handle the licensing, digital and ancillary rights for the U.S. and international markets.

The Bellator Fighting Championships feature 12-week, eight-man tournaments and is currently in its fifth season, airing on MTV2, simulcast in HD on EPIX2 and also streamed live worldwide on Spike.com. It will debut on Spike TV in early 2013.

David Ellender, FME’s global CEO, commented, “This deal further diversifies FME’s third party slate and builds on our reputation as experts at identifying and exploiting the potential of emerging brands. The sport of mixed martial arts is gaining momentum with fans worldwide, and we can see huge potential for the Bellator brand across all platforms, both in the U.S. and internationally.”

“The incredible athleticism and intensity exhibited in all of our mixed martial arts tournaments translate into any language,” said Bjorn Rebney, the chairman, CEO and founder of Bellator. “With FME as our partner, we will have the ability to showcase our high-intensity brand of fighting to millions around the globe.”