News Bellator sale talks heating up

[Kb7]

A lot of truth right there that some won't agree with it.

I don't put it all on Coker but I do put a good 75% of it on him.

A lot of people don’t agree with my statement because anyone who hates the UFC will look for comfort in any product that’s against the UFC & Dana. Coker has been taken advantage of by M1 & Fedors management in the past, He’s just too nice of a guy to say no and realize what the fighters he has on his roster are worth, Bellator was a charity for a while for fighters from last generation, the Rampages, Fedors, Sonnens etcs. He had no direction for Bellator and it’s fighters, if he had more of a business mindset and looked to make money for the organization and investors that put faith in him, he would be same as the Dana & The UFC.

 

[TorontoTO]

PFL's real target market is not the mma fan, it's investors. everything they do is geared towards raising capital. Their stupid tournament format is a gimick to sell investors. their athlete signings, their production, etc,... their primary customer is the investor.

PFL doesnt even have a TV deal yet for next year.

Basically, the whole promotion is if someone who is trying to cash out soon was running one.

 

[TRVITMVNZ]

Id hope Coker has a job at PFL as the talent evaluator. Thats the one thing he is good at

 

[David Street]

MVP rolled up to Abu Dhabi for the fights this weekend. Wonder if he’s meeting with the UFC brass again?

Dana just said UFC is definitely interested and they are talking to MVP.
10:04

 

[Bubba32]

Id hope Coker has a job at PFL as the talent evaluator. Thats the one thing he is good at

He's put another promotion out of business.

 

[David Street]

“Why on God’s green Earth would anybody buy Bellator?” Dana White
"We’re definitely interested in (MVP) and he’s interested, too. So, possibly....” Dana White

 

[CC27]

 

[MMAddict21]

Why the fuck would you run the brand for two more years. Just take the fighters you want and shut it down.

 

[Mentallooser]

Why the fuck would you run the brand for two more years. Just take the fighters you want and shut it down.

I agree, I'm hoping that they have some good reason that analysts and creative directors worked up

 

[Go Go Plata]

Why the fuck would you run the brand for two more years. Just take the fighters you want and shut it down.

Brand cachet. Bellator has a certain name recognition and respectability that PFL doesnt. Bellator viewers will continue to tune in thinking they are watching Bellator but PFL can introduce and advertise the "PFL" brand in Bellator broadcast. Eventually Bellator viewers will associate PFL and Bellator so when Bellator ceases in two years, PFL will have a higher retention rate.

It also gives them the marketing opportunity to do "cross-promotion" fights. More people will tune into see Bellator vs PFL over just PFL

 

[David Street]

https://www.bjpenn.com/mma-news/bel...finalized-will-take-over-the-company-in-2024/

Al Zullino stated that the deal has been completed and that PFL officially now owns Bellator. Starting in 2024, they will begin to control the entire promotion and will run the two as separate entities until 2026.

 

[Mentallooser]

https://www.bjpenn.com/mma-news/bel...finalized-will-take-over-the-company-in-2024/

Al Zullino stated that the deal has been completed and that PFL officially now owns Bellator. Starting in 2024, they will begin to control the entire promotion and will run the two as separate entities until 2026.

So interesting. Yesterday, the owner of PFL stated that they would not buy another promotion for anything other than their fighters. This would either run counter to this, or keeps them from what...voiding the Bellator contracts and letting those fighters go to the UFC?

 

[Phrozenspite]

Why the fuck would you run the brand for two more years. Just take the fighters you want and shut it down.

guessing there may be some contractual obligations since bellator signed tv deals overseas and such.

 

[TITS]

Who is Al Zullino?

 

[Mentallooser]

guessing there may be some contractual obligations since bellator signed tv deals overseas and such.

That's all I came up with. If they want the roster, without most of the top names going to the UFC, then they may have to not dissolve to company for now. As long as they can "co-promote" for whatever big events they have, and integrate some stuff into overseas cards. Maybe "co-promoted" events will count for their contracted number of fights.

 

[europe1]

Honestly I'm just surprised that Viacom finally turned a profit on Bellator. Never underestimate venture capital I guess.

 

[skylolow]

I'd like to point out the nut Todd Adkins or whatever his name is turned out to be right.

But more importantly whoever thought no way in hell Bellator would sell for less than 100's of millions and one poster over billion. Telling us we are all morons thinking it was lucky if it was worth 100M or whatever. It ended up selling for basically nothing but a consolation prize. Giving up some stock equity in the PFL to Viacom is nothing more than saving face on some level. It tells you that Bellator was not profitable in the end. No business that is profitable is absorbed by another business for just straight up stock equity. Especially when it absorbed by another company that I think we can all agree is no where near making money. So the stock equity is basically worthless right now and long shot to be ever worth a shit ton of money, its a long shot gamble Viacom took just to get out of the MMA business. The reality is 5 years or so from now chances are very high PFL won't even be in business if your putting a betting line to it. I think it small chance this is the start of real contender to the UFC unless the antitrust lawsuit some how changes the landscape of MMA that we know.

 

[KeeSmyth]

I'd like to point out the nut Todd Adkins or whatever his name is turned out to be right.

But more importantly whoever thought no way in hell Bellator would sell for less than 100's of millions and one poster over billion. Telling us we are all morons thinking it was lucky if it was worth 100M or whatever. It ended up selling for basically nothing but a consolation prize. Giving up some stock equity in the PFL to Viacom is nothing more than saving face on some level. It tells you that Bellator was not profitable in the end. No business that is profitable is absorbed by another business for just straight up stock equity. Especially when it absorbed by another company that I think we can all agree is no where near making money. So the stock equity is basically worthless right now and long shot to be ever worth a shit ton of money, its a long shot gamble Viacom took just to get out of the MMA business. The reality is 5 years or so from now chances are very high PFL won't even be in business if your putting a betting line to it. I think it small chance this is the start of real contender to the UFC unless the antitrust lawsuit some how changes the landscape of MMA that we know.

Without a TV deal there was no real value to Bellator, similarly to how WCW was bought for like 2 million

 

[Hellowhosthat]

I'd like to point out the nut Todd Adkins or whatever his name is turned out to be right.

But more importantly whoever thought no way in hell Bellator would sell for less than 100's of millions and one poster over billion. Telling us we are all morons thinking it was lucky if it was worth 100M or whatever. It ended up selling for basically nothing but a consolation prize. Giving up some stock equity in the PFL to Viacom is nothing more than saving face on some level. It tells you that Bellator was not profitable in the end. No business that is profitable is absorbed by another business for just straight up stock equity. Especially when it absorbed by another company that I think we can all agree is no where near making money. So the stock equity is basically worthless right now and long shot to be ever worth a shit ton of money, its a long shot gamble Viacom took just to get out of the MMA business. The reality is 5 years or so from now chances are very high PFL won't even be in business if your putting a betting line to it. I think it small chance this is the start of real contender to the UFC unless the antitrust lawsuit some how changes the landscape of MMA that we know.

@Stan said $5 billion, give the man his credit.

 

[careto]

@Stan said $5 billion, give the man his credit.

The fact that Bellator was sold for a minority of PFL stake is fucking absurd. I dont know if its funny or sad. They basically had zero offers. Paramount would have been better off getting $20 from a random sherbro.