Bellator will have a new Russian broadcast home in 2021 as the promotion has signed an exclusive partnership deal with Okko Sport.
The promotion issued the following press release on the new partnership:
OKKO SPORT TO BECOME EXCLUSIVE BROADCAST PARTNER OF BELLATOR MMA IN RUSSIA
LOS ANGELES – Okko Sport will become the new exclusive broadcast partner of Bellator MMA in Russia beginning January 1, 2021. The exclusive three-year agreement will see Okko Sport air all Bellator live events, including preliminary bouts.
Okko Sport is currently the exclusive Russian broadcaster of the English Premier League, MLS and CONCACAF qualifiers for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
Bellator is owned by media giant, ViacomCBS, and hosts over 30 live events annually across the globe featuring the sport’s best fighters. Most recently, Russia’s Vadim Nemkov defeated former titleholder Ryan Bader to become the new Bellator Light Heavyweight World Champion last month at Bellator 244.
Mikhail Gershkovich, head of sports projects, Rambler Group: “We have just signed a deal to acquire exclusive broadcasting rights with Bellator, one of the key MMA promotions in the world. From January 1st, Okko Sport subscribers will have an opportunity to watch the fights of the legendary Fedor Emelianenko, the reigning light heavyweight champion Vadim Nemkov and other outstanding fighters. We will provide detailed information on how Bellator will be presented in the Okko Sport service closer to the start of our contract period at a separate press conference.”
Scott Coker, President, Bellator MMA:
“I am thrilled to announce our new exclusive broadcast partner in Russia on Okko Sport beginning in 2021. Russia has played an integral part in the history of combat sports throughout the years and has also proven to be a very important market for the international growth of Bellator. When you look at the where the sport is today, our roster is filled with notable Russian fighters, including legend Fedor Emelianenko, current light heavyweight champion Vadim Nemkov, former champ Vitaly Minakov and numerous young prospects. Partnering with a leading broadcaster in Okko Sport, which is also home to several other notable sports properties, allows us to showcase the elite competition that takes place inside the Bellator cage at every live event to our devoted Russian fanbase.”
Okko Sport:
Okko Sport is a subscription-based sports broadcasting service. Okko Sport is the official broadcaster of the English Premier League, MLS and CONCACAF qualifiers for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. The service offers viewing of matches with a frame rate of 50FPS and the ability to select an audio track. You can watch matches simultaneously on three devices, switching between games in applications on all popular platforms.
Bellator:
Bellator is a leading global MMA and kickboxing promotion featuring many of the best athletes in the world. Under the direction of veteran fight promoter Scott Coker, Bellator events take place in major cities around the world and can be seen on television in over 160 countries to an available audience of over one billion people. In the United States, Bellator events can be seen on both Paramount Network and DAZN, the world’s first truly dedicated LIVE sports streaming service, while Bellator MMA Recharged airs on the CBS Sports Network. Bellator is comprised of an executive team that includes top industry professionals in television production, live events, fighter development and relations, sponsorship, international licensing, marketing, advertising and public relations. Bellator is based in Hollywood, Calif. and owned by entertainment giant ViacomCBS, home to the world's premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms.
Okko multimedia service is one of the largest Russian VoD services, leader in EST. The service was launched in 2011, and today operates on all key platforms, such as Smart TV, mobile (IOS & Android), Apple TV, PlayStation 4, and online web (PC). Okko's monthly audience is 17 million people.
Okko users can buy and download their favorite movies in high quality (UHD/4K, HDR), rent content for 48 hours or buy a subscription and watch it through the Okko application on Smart TV, the mobile app, or via okko.tv. The service library contains approximately 70,000 popular shows, series and movies from world-famous film studios such as Walt Disney Pictures, Paramount Pictures, 20th Century Fox, Warner Bros, Sony Pictures, Universal Pictures, as well as leading European and Russian TV and film producers.
The service now also offers a set of thematic subscription packages, including the popular series from AMEDIATEKA and START, a selection of Russian movies, international blockbusters, art-house and children's content. In 2019 Okko's turnover grew by 76%, amounting to 4.4 billion rubles (Okko's turnover in 2018 was 2.5 billion rubles). Since its launch in 2011, over 41 million users have registered with the service.
Fightful has all of your MMA needs covered. Follow us on Twitter for updates, and subscribe to our YouTube channel for exclusive interviews, lists, news updates and predictions.
