Bellator is really stepping up their game with these promo videos. VidProps: BellatorMMA/YouTube
Well this is interesting: following in the pioneering steps of the UFC, Bellator is announcing that they will begin streaming the undercard fights on the series of tubes known as the internet.
That’s not the interesting part. The interesting part is who they’re partnering with: Spike. Yep, those guys.
According to a press release sent to the CagePotato Desk for Serious Journalism, You Guys (not actually a real place), the undercard fights will go live on Spike.com at 7pm ET as a lead-in for the main card broadcasts on MTV2 starting with the season premiere this Saturday at 9pm. As we reported last week, the main cards will also be broadcast in HD on EPIX, which we personally confirmed is a extant channel that wasn’t made up by some Viacom dude with a stupid-long job title.
The press release included a quote from some Viacom dude (Executive Vice President, Digital Entertainment, MTV Networks Entertainment Group), a guy by the name of Erik Flannigan:
“Fight fans have been coming to our site for years for great mixed martial arts clips and information,” said Flannigan. “Now we are thrilled to provide them with action-packed live fighting each week.”
“We are thrilled to join forces with Spike.com,” said Bellator head honcho Bjorn Rebney. “The Spike brand is synonymous with mixed martial arts worldwide and is another member of the MTV family, who does an incredible job in resonating with the hard-to-reach 18-to-34-year-old male audience.”
Now, call us crazy, but it seems like that move from MTV2 to Spike that everybody says is happening for Bellator, but Rebney denies every chance he gets – it’s happening. Rebney and company are slowly backing in to this whole Spike transition, all the while saying, “No, us? Move to Spike? We love MTV, and MTV loves us. Why should we move? We just left our toothbrush at Spike’s house totally by accident. Hey, can you help us move some furniture around this weekend?”
That’s how it starts. First it’s just a toothbrush, maybe some body wash. Next thing MTV knows, Bellator is staying out all night, not calling, always claiming to be busy. Then one day they see Bellator wearing one of Spike’s old button down shirts and everyone is talking about how good they look since the two split up.
We just hope MTV can move on in a mature way, but you know they’ll probably just throw themselves at their old flame.
[RX]