The Bellator brand will remain separate from the PFL brandESPN
Paramount Global has sold its Bellator MMA property to the PFL in a deal that will consolidate the fighting space and make PFL a more legitimate competitor to UFC.
The deal will be announced this morning with terms undisclosed. The Bellator brand will remain separate from the PFL brand but there will now be special events to have the best fighters from PFL and Bellator face each other. Through its SRJ (pronounced Surge) Sports Investments subsidiary, Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund this past summer invested nine figures into the PFL.
PFL says it will now have 30% of the roster of the top 25 ranked fighters in the world across weight classes, which it claims is roughly total to UFC’s rate. The sides have been in talks for months, as SBJ and several other outlets had reported.
PFL CEO Peter Murray told SBJ that the deal “changes the MMA landscape overnight; PFL is now a global powerhouse and poised to become the co-leader in MMA. Bellator has a great brand, top talent, and we have the opportunity to provide these fighters within a league season as well as to compete under the Bellator platform.”
He declined to disclose deal terms aside from saying: “We acquired them. We own the company outright.” The Financial Times cited PFL founder Donn Davis saying that Paramount would retain a small minority stake. Bellator aired on Showtime Sports, but Paramount is shutting down that unit after this year as it dials back its combat sports investments.
Asked why PFL didn’t just acquire the talent but drop the Bellator branding, Murray said: “It’s a premium brand that has a great legacy in the sport.” He said the PFL will reimagine the Bellator product. The Bellator brand will be distinct and separate but all business operations will be part of the PFL infrastructure.
PFL was valued at $500M in 2022 when it raised fresh capital.
While it was not clear if the PFL saw possible synergies and cost savings from the acquisition, Murray said that Bellator President Scott Coker and all Bellator employees generally “have opportunities” with PFL.
“We respect Scott and recognize his longtime leadership in MMA. We have opportunities for Scott and all the Bellator team and, and we’re excited for them to be part of our next chapter of growth.”
That next chapter includes becoming what Murray has long envisioned as the “Champions League” of MMA, after starting a regional league recently in Europe and starting one next year in the Middle East and North Africa.
The latter venture is a large reason that Saudi Arabia invested in PFL, which will now start hosting regular events there through that regional series. PFL is also working on launching in Africa and Australia in 2025 and Asia in 2026.
This year, the PFL also signed Jake Paul and Francis Ngannou, though neither have competed for the company yet.
