Showtime Sports will no longer provide boxing and MMA coverage following the end of 2023 — leaving Bellator, already in limbo, in an even more perilous situation.
Per an internal e-mail sent to Showtime Sports staffers, the network will focus on more scripted content, and driving subscribers to streaming service Paramount+. Yahoo’s Kevin Iole was first to break the news on Tuesday.
Talk of Showtime exiting the boxing game has run rampant for weeks, with even UFC President and CEO Dana White weighing in. Iole’s report, however, was the first confirmation that the network would also drop MMA coverage. Currently, Bellator MMA airs on the network in the U.S.
Bellator officials confirmed the news to Cageside Press following Iole’s report. Bellator 301 will air on Showtime as announced; the promotion has nothing officially announced past that November card.
The promotion currently has its lightweight grand prix unfolding, with the second semifinal match-up booked for Bellator 301 in Chicago. Champ Usman Nurmagomedov has already punched his ticket to the final — though it’s now unclear what will happen with the tournament. The winner of Patricky Pitbull vs. Alexander Shabliy is expected to face Nurmagomedov to wrap up the grand prix.
Showtime’s Stephen Espinoza addressed the news in a statement to Sports Business Journal.
“The company’s decision is not a reflection of the work we have done in recent years, nor of our long and proud history,” Espinoza’s statement read. “Unfortunately, in a rapidly evolving media marketplace, the company has had to make difficult choices allocating resources, resetting priorities and reshaping its content offering. While today’s news is certainly difficult and disappointing, it is entirely out of our control.”
Bellator has bounced around broadcasters in recent years, going from Paramount Network to CBS Sports then Showtime, while briefly appearing on streaming service DAZN as well. In recent months talks of a sale to rival promotion PFL have swirled, with the latest update from Bellator CEO Scott Coker suggesting that those talks remain ongoing.
