Scott Coker wants to see Bellator MMA on CBS and Showtime: ‘That’s definitely a goal of ours’

https://www.mmafighting.com/2021/1/...-and-showtime-thats-definitely-a-goal-of-ours

 

Bellator should do 4-6 tentpole events per year on CBS. The LHW GP, for example, could be all through CBS plus any other title fights showcasing Lima, Pitbull, Mousasi, etc. I think it is very doable.

Coker also mentioned the idea of Bellator being on a streaming service like Paramount Plus, like the UFC is on ESPN+, I think this is a great move on the right direction. Now that Bellator is not on DAZN, it is impossible to catch the fights on-demand. This is a great opportunity to make the product available on different platforms.

 

CBS has cbs all access where you can watch that show Picard

 

so basically keep trying to copy UFC like they have been for years

 

What everyone fails to realize is, it doesn't matter what network they're on. If you put a piece of shit on a small network, a few people will see a piece of shit. If you put a piece of shit on a big platform, MORE people will see this piece of shit. The product sucks. It doesn't even attempt to create its own identity in the market. Nobody wants to watch a cookie-cutter, bush league organization that features UFC has-beens. Get rid of that boring idiot (Scott Coker) and hire someone with charisma and good ideas. It's sick how stupid Viacom is for throwing $100 million to polish that turd.

 

Few CBS shows with prelims on CBS SPorts and then showtime fight nights is what the endgame should be.

I dont think that Paramount streaming service would be a good move, maybe just a simulcast on these networks and also the streaming service is cool but if they tried to do Paramount Plus only exclusive events thats a terrible move. Do people think fans are gonna sign up for that to watch Bellator? Doesnt seem like many people even pay attention on CBS Sports so if they do streaming only events that would be bad.

 

Paramount Plus is a bad name for a streaming app imho..

ViacomCBS should have follow Warners Bros like they did with HBO Max and called it something like Showtime Plus or something..

 

And profiles on here type up comments that I bash Bellator. You took it to the profanity level of bashing Bellator. Hahaha hahaha hahaha a Big Thumbs up for your comment.

 

It really isn’t bashing at all. It’s the truth and everybody knows it. Look, I don’t want them to fail but with Ol’ Scott Coker at the reigns it’s going to. The show simply isn’t entertaining to watch. They need a new look and “feel” to it. They try so hard to be like the UFC. Remember that commentator that was trying to sound like Joe Rogan? It’s cringeworthy. I hope they reinvent themselves and give the UFC some competition (like Pride did). Real competition makes for great conversation and is a win-win for not just the fighters but the fans, too.

 

What Bellator has to do is to create their own weight class or maybe only signs fighters with no wrestling background at all to avoid decisions.

Maybe open up more champion vs champion fights like Mousasi vs Nemkov in Russia

It's difficult and if they will do this grand prix, make sure they will do like pride. If possible 2 fights in one night to become a winner. I know pfl did that so there is no excuses

 

I've said it for years, Bellator should differentiate themselves by focusing on big 8-men tournaments and get them done in 4 months at most. Or having concurrent tournements, like they should do the LHW GP and concurrently the BW GP. The tournaments in Bellator tend to drag and lose momentum and Scott refuses to overlap tournaments. Think about this FW GP, it had the names to be great but you had 1 tournament fight per event, how can you expect to gain any momentum like that?
But more than anything, they should split the 170 weight class to 165 and 175. They could attract many big 155ers and small 170ers to create the 165 weight class and promote the hell out of it. But Coker doesnt want to do it unless the UFC does it (literally his words) so they will always be behind the curve in that sense.

 

I like the idea of a tournament if they can finish it in 4 months but with injuries, medical suspensions, etc., I doubt it can successfully be done. They need to focus on their entire image and focus on how to promote that image.

They’ve been doing the same shit over and over again and have not changed a f*cking thing. It’s insane. When they sign a new fighter (who was dropped by the UFC), Scott Coker parades around acting as if he found a mound of gold. It’s hilarious.

 

What you are describing is basically the PFL

 

I understand there are circumstances outside of their control but at the same time Coker drags those tournaments way more than they should. Think about it, for an 8-men tournament you only need 3 events (4 quarter-finals in one event, 2 semi-finals three months later, and the finals three months later), why Scott is putting one or two tournament fights per event and dragging the damn thing for over a year is beyond me, all this accomplishes is a loss of interest and a lack of buzz around it. An 8-men tournament can definitely be done in 6-7 months and a 16-men tournament in less than a year. Concurrently, you could have another GP, both of them within the same year. In other words, you could have a LHW and BW GP concurrently in 2021, with the matches being aired exclusively on CBS or Showtime. There would be tons of buzz around it, a lot of media attention, etc. But do you think Coker will do that? Nope, he will possibly have a LHW GP and will drag it out for over a year.

Or why not have an Open Weight Grand Prix? LHW & HW in a 16-men tournament, isn't this what tournaments are supposed to be about? They are supposed to be the time for crazy match-ups that wouldn't happen in a regular competition. You could get the best of both divisions and just battle it out. Next year they could do 170 vs 185, then 135 vs 145 and so forth. What I'm trying to say is that Coker needs to go balls out and create something spectacular to challenge the UFC and bring attention to his product, otherwise, he will always be second rate, but he is so unwilling to take any risks. That's why for as long as he is at Bellator they will never challenge the UFC.

 

Not exactly, I mean yes in the sense of 2 concurrent tournaments but these would have way better quality. But the regular shows and Euro Series would continue the way they are. I think is better than having a long, drawn out tournament. If that was the case, then dont do the tournament; just match up the best against the best.

 

So they should go back to the format that Bjorn Rebney used, and worked at first, but got them nowhere in the long term?

 

They should do tournaments the right now, not space them out over a year and a half. Right now, they are just pumping out events without any real direction, either. So, if they are going to do tournaments, at least do them right and create some buzz around them.

 

Right there is the problem.

Ratings tank, they sign more guys, ratings don't improve, sign more guys, ratings go down, etc etc. Scott Coker buys into the the simple philosophy of , "build they will come mentality". He hasn't understood the UFC already did that and that is where people go. Bellator has the roster to put out good cards many more times than not and get people talking on some level. But instead we get one card here and there that is solid on paper(creates a little ripple in the sea of MMA news) and a whole hell of alot of filler events in between that more or less go unnoticed. When you dive into the ratings these UFC signings when they fight do help peak numbers and help attendance(drastically compared to before). The problem is nothing below the headlining fight even gets people to tune in. Viacom can't even get Bellator to air live in parts of the US at times throughout their history. Nothing flows from event to event. A very low budget on marketing. It's just a damn mess from top to bottom.

Viacom should sell it off and at best Coker should be nothing more than talent relations position if he is even retained by new ownership or if Viacom continues to own Bellator. They need new blood running the show.

 

Coker isn't the problem before he started running Bellator they never made any money. They did however make a big mistake in putting John McCarthy, Josh Thomson and Mike Goldberg on the commentary team, they suck together. They need to bring back either Mauro and/or Quadros, they make the fights much more exciting to watch.

 

I would get rid of the entire commentary team and bring in an entirely new commentary team, anyone who has some experience in the commentary, as opposed to just being a fighter. If anything, I would keep Big John on the booth with Chael or something, just because of his immense knowledge.