BAMMA set to go international with new broadcast deal

Fast-rising UK-based MMA promotion BAMMA have announced their latest foray into the international broadcast market, this time as part of a global partnership with Content Media Corporation. The deal will see BAMMA footage distributed globally across a number of formats, a huge step forward for the UKMMA giant.

Beginning with September’s BAMMA 7 from Birmingham, England, CMC will be responsible for distributing not only live events, but archive footage from previous BAMMA shows featuring a host of international names. Fans world wide will soon be able to catch footage of Tom Watson, Frank Trigg, Paul Daley, War Machine, Ricco Rodriguez and more doing battle within the confines of the BAMMA cage.
BAMMA’s Head of Business Development Liam Fisher, gave his thoughts in a press release earlier today:

“We are delighted to be working with such a strategic and successful company as Content Media. With their experience, knowledge and contacts, I have no doubt that we will be broadcasting into over half a billion homes within a year.”

One thing you can never accuse BAMMA of is not aiming high, and while their ambitions are lofty, they are in keeping with BAMMA’s ‘go big or go home’ strategy, which see’s them currently in the middle of an unprecedented five arena show, twelve month run. Greg Phillips, President of Content Television added:

“BAMMA content is a fantastic showcase of one of the world’s fastest growing sports and has great potential in the international marketplace.  These hugely entertaining events have already proven their appeal with UK audiences giving us a solid starting point from which to build BAMMA into a major worldwide brand.”

BAMMA already hold the record for the most viewed MMA fight in the UK, with nearly 900,000 people tuning in to watch the main event of BAMMA 4, a five-round slugfest between Alex Reid and Tom Watson. To give that figure some context, it’s more than Showtime got for the Paul Daley vs Nick Diaz fight, in a country with over five times the population. Their next effort, emanating from their spiritual home of Birmingham, will feature a lightweight title fight between Rob Sinclair and Leonardo Santos and the UK debut of Ultimate Fighter winner Efrain Escudero, with more fights set to be announced in the coming weeks.
Whoever ends up on the card, BAMMA’s latest media partnership means that more fans than ever will have a chance to see them.
By Brad Wharton