Fans of Bellator Fighting Championships will finally get what they've been clamoring for since the organization hit MTV2 airwaves early last year. Announced Tuesday afternoon, promotion officials have formally agreed to a partnership with EPIX -- a premium cable channel owned by Viacom -- to simulcast live event coverage in high definition.
According to previously released figures, EPIX is available in over 30 million U.S. households, tacking onto the 80 million that already receive MTV2. The move further increases the scope of Bellator's broadening coverage, while establishing the brand with a reliable partner for the booming demand on high-definition.
"This is the perfect time and the perfect channel to introduce Bellator in high-definition," said Bellator Chairman & CEO Bjorn Rebney on the promotion's website. "EPIX has fantastic programming, tremendous reach and I always find a great movie on their channel. I look forward to continuing our relationship with MTV2 and our new partnership with EPIX to bring the magic of HD to Bellator fans nationwide."
The first show to be affected by the new deal, Bellator 49, is scheduled for broadcast on Saturday, September 10th at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT. The card is headlined by four welterweight tournament fights, including Dan Hornbuckle vs. Luis Santos and Ben Saunders vs. Rick Hawn.