Moving on Up: Will Bellator FC Be Trading Fox Sports Net for FX in the Near Future?

Through its use of savvy marketing and clever match-making alongside a growing roster of great up-and-coming as well as established talent, the Bellator FC promotion has quietly yet quickly emerged as the #3 promotion in Mixed Martial Arts, behind Strikeforce and the juggernaut that is the UFC. Recently, Bellator took an important step forward in their struggle for mainstream relevancy and fan acceptance. It seems as if the surging promotion has traded up in their ongoing relationship with Fox Entertainment Group: they’ll be trading tape-delayed and often-preempted shows on Fox Sports Net for live, weekly coverage on FX. Here are all the details.

First reported by MMAJunkie.com, we head to Sherdog to get an important follow-up on the pending deal, which would see Bellator’s events broadcast live on a weekly basis on FX. Replays and highlights would continue to be aired on Fox Sports Net. “FX” is best known as the cable channel that gave us ratings and review juggernauts like “The Shield”, “Sons of Anarchy”, and “Rescue Me”. Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney had this to say regarding the matter: “… We’re always trying to produce the most exciting and captivating MMA for our fans. Our next step is a significant move in that direction. But at this time, I can’t elaborate…”

I think this is an incredibly bold move by Bellator… but I honestly and firmly believe that it’s the right move. Right now, as Bellator FC continues to grow, this is exactly the kind of exposure they need to firmly cement themselves in the mainstream. I don’t say this to sound disrespectful, but I’ll be frank: when I think of sports, I don’t think of Fox Sports Net. However, when I think of a great cable channel, I do indeed think of FX. Throughout the years, FX has gained this image of a cutting-edge cable channel that pushes Standards and Practices to their limits with great, gritty shows that are big successes both critically and commercially. The FX “attitude” syncs up really well with Mixed Martial Arts, so FX would be a great home for Bellator.

Plus, the format of the deal certainly sounds impressive. Weekly shows that are broadcast live? Has anyone else done that? I’m happy enough when we get one free night of live fights… how appealing does several weeks of live, free fights sound? Pretty appealing indeed, if you want my opinion. And with its tournament format that spans multiple weight divisions, we’re practically guaranteed new and exciting matches on a weekly basis.

Bellator has been gaining a whole lot of momentum lately, and I think that this deal, if it goes forward as it’s currently being detailed, would push them right over the edge. If Bellator FC debuts on FX with live weekly shows and becomes successful, we may have just seen a new challenger emerge. If this gamble ends up playing out and paying off, we may even be looking at a whole new ballgame in the world of Mixed Martial Arts before all is said and done. 2010 was a monumental year for MMA as a whole, and 2011 is already looking like it’ll eclipse this year entirely. I can’t wait to see what the future holds.

And what about you, fans and friends? What do you make of this rumored deal between Bellator FC and FX?