IT'S ALIVE! The Ratings Are In: Bellator An Early, Sweeping Success On MTV2

We’re barely past Bellator 35 and already Bellator 36 will soon be upon us. But that’s the nature of the game when you plan to put on weekly, live MMA shows. Still, I’ve talked about Bellator 35 at length since it was my first real Bellator show and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it. Apparently a whole lot of other people enjoyed it too, as the ratings just came in and MMA fans appear to have sent a clear message to MTV2: we want Bellator.

MMA Weekly brings us word of some really fantastic news for the upstart Bellator Fighting Championships promotion. According to their report, the debut of Bellator on MTV2 was watched by an average of 200,000 viewers. The report also states that Bellator also gave MTV2 a massive ratings increase in many of its key demographics: an increase of 83 percent in Males Age 18-49, an increase of 80 percent in Males Age 18-34, and an astonishing increase of 133 percent in Males Age 25-34.

Bellator 35 saw the opening round of Bellator’s “Season 4” Welterweight Tournament, with eight men competing for a shot at champion Ben Askren’s Welterweight Championship. Last season’s tournament finalist, Lyman Good, notched a big win at Bellator 35 after a fantastic fight with Chris Lozano. The event also saw the promotional debut of former champion, ex-UFC, and ex-Strikeforce fighter Jay Hieron, who made quick work of his opponent and submitted Anthony Lapsley in under four minutes.

I think this is fantastic news for Bellator, and to be quite honest, I couldn’t be happier for the upstart promotion. I admit I was skeptical about their chances on a network like MTV2, which caters to a very niche audience. However, it appears as if Bellator fits perfectly into that niche, and as we head deeper into what has already been a fantastic year for MMA, I think this is a great sign of things to come.

Because it’s only going to get better. This was the first round of one of Bellator’s tournaments, we’ve still got semifinals, finals, and even the opening round of other weight division’s tournaments. And even after all is said and done, we’ve still got the super-fight between the reigning champion and this season’s tournament winner. Bellator has really crafted quite the interesting formula with this tournament format, and it definitely seems to be working.

Looking forward, I can’t wait to see who gets to challenge Eddie Alvarez, because I think Alvarez is one of the best Lightweight fighters on the planet. I’m also going to be paying close attention to Jay Hieron, because I really do think that he can go very far in Bellator.

At the end of the day, Bellator’s early success on MTV2 is a good thing for everybody. It’s another promotion holding free MMA on TV on a consistent basis. By being successful on MTV2 of all places, Bellator helps prove how far-reaching MMA is, and helps strengthen its mass appeal. And the fighters benefit from increased exposure. It’s a great time to be both an MMA fan and a Bellator fan, and I’m glad to call myself both.