News Bellator sale talks heating up

[Dn10]

I still think a middle eastern wealth fund (Saudi, Qatar) makes a ton of sense

 

[Koala]

I still think a middle eastern wealth fund (Saudi, Qatar) makes a ton of sense

Qatar will make a ton of sense if you can put MMA on Beinsport in the whole EMEA region
Unfortunately KSA seems more interested in the sport

 

[Dn10]

Yeah and then put on a bunch of events in their country. Especially with all the Russian and Eastern European / Western Asian fighters. Dagestan etc. great place to show off the country and Muslim fighters.

 

[TorontoTO]

PFL’s founder will be speaking at a conference in the ME


Donn Davis will be speaking in Qatar from May 23-25.

What do we get if it has nothing to do with Bellator?

 

[TorontoTO]

It’s the same thing in theory. PFL would still absorb Bellator.

PFL is ass so that would be disastrous

 

[careto]

PFL’s founder will be speaking at a conference in the ME


Donn Davis will be speaking in Qatar from May 23-25.

Wildly, wildly speculative. The idea of PFL buying Bellator is based on Davis speaking in Qatar, which has zero corralation. its just based on a rumor that you yourself created.

 

[David Street]

Wildly, wildly speculative. The idea of PFL buying Bellator is based on Davis speaking in Qatar, which has zero corralation. its just based on a rumor that you yourself created.

No, the rumor has been going around a long time now.. that came from PFL originally I think in a joke he made that going there is where One founder got his funding. Then someone added about rollup mergers were a talk going on at the forum. So logical connect with no bases but sure PFL would love to do it if it was possible. This was on twitter will see if I can find it.

 

[careto]

No, the rumor has been going around a long time now.. that came from PFL originally I think in a joke he made that going there is where One founder got his funding. Then someone added about rollup mergers were a talk going on at the forum. So logical connect with no bases but sure PFL would love to do it if it was possible. This was on twitter will see if I can find it.

Yeah, the rumor of Bellator being on the market is old but the idea of PFL being not only a potential buying but advanced in negotiations is wildly speculative (based on conjectures and Davis going to Qatar). I do think Bellator will be sold by the end od the year and IDK who will be the buyer but I highly doubt it will be PFL.

 

[Dn10]

It could be Disney/ESPN with PFL absorbing Bellator. However, what I was told is they are down to line items at this point.

meaning it’s almost a done deal that PFL buys Bellator? I’m not sure there’s much for the PFL to gain to be honest. Unless they ditch the season format or change it up somehow. Given the Bellator roster is what they’re buying to some degree and you can’t do an annual tournament with a roster that big.

 

[CC27]

It could be Disney/ESPN with PFL absorbing Bellator. However, what I was told is they are down to line items at this point.

It could be Disney doing what? They dont own PFL so if they bought Bellator they arent gonna just give them to PFL to make an org, they'd have to buy PFL too to do that.

 

[careto]

It could be Disney doing what? They dont own PFL so if they bought Bellator they arent gonna just give them to PFL to make an org, they'd have to buy PFL too to do that.

Exactly, makes zero sense. Why would they buy Bellator to hand it over to PFL?

 

[Dn10]

I wonder if McGregor is the face of an investor group trying to buy it? Especially given SBG and Kav are quite close to Bellator.

 

[careto]

ESPN can merge Bellator with PFL who is under their network. It makes perfect sense. Paramount is also in deep shit right now.

Bellator is actually owned by CBS but PFL is not owned by ESPN, though. They are just their TV providers but have no power over their decisions whatsoever.

 

[CC27]

Bellator is actually owned by CBS but PFL is not owned by ESPN, though. They are just their TV providers but have no power over their decisions whatsoever.

What in the fuck is this guy talking about? He thinks if they buy Bellator they can just merge them with PFL cause they have a broadcasting deal with them? So by that logic they can buy Bellator and merge them with UFC.

 

[careto]

What in the fuck is this guy talking about? He thinks if they buy Bellator they can just merge them with PFL cause they have a broadcasting deal with them? So by that logic they can buy Bellator and merge them with UFC.

...to think that this was the source of the rumor lmao.

 

[CC27]

Over time they can merge the two rosters. First they would have to fulfill Bellator’s contracts. Then again we don’t where Paramount will be after December. They wouldn’t merge the two immediately.

You seem to be lost my dude, they would have to buy both orgs to do this. They broadcast PFL they dont own them just like they dont own NFL or UFC etc.

 

[CC27]

You need to keep in mind that I have had tons of people that worked in the tv side of things. Some of them worked for Bellator like Christian Printup. I can go to directly to people on how this stuff would work, timelines etc.

You do that dude, keep up the good work.

 

[careto]

Over time they can merge the two rosters. First they would have to fulfill Bellator’s TV contracts. Then again we don’t know where Paramount will be after December. They wouldn’t merge the two immediately.

My man, ESPN cant merge their rosters, neither immediatly nor over time. They do not have that authority. PFL is an independent entity which they only have a broadcasting deal with.

 

[David Street]

I think PFL would love to own Bellator just to claim the #2 promotion spot. I Hope not though.

 

[careto]

To me, Bellator re-signing Cyborg is the clearest indication that they arent getting absorbed by PFL. They really fucked with PFL by re-signing the only viable opponent for Kayla and now she is going to seat out the entire year without a fight.

Also, Kayla said Cyborg "played and fucked with the PFL", so this doesnt look like a merger will happen.