“Crossover events are certainly one of the ideas Scott and I have kicked around and brainstormed, and pairing them together programming wise on the same night and start blending those audiences together with a hybrid event at some point,” Espinoza told BoxingScene.com in an interview.
“Whether it's fighter vs. fighter, or an event where you do both styles in the same night, the door is open, and those conversations are happening. It hasn't been determined, but I do think it will happen at some point,” said Coker. “There will be boxing guys going into MMA, and MMA guys going into boxing. That's something Stephen and I have talked about.”
“We had a lot of momentum [with Strikeforce]. It marked the end of an opportunity. We’re excited to have Bellator back. ViacomCBS is absolutely committed to it and wants to grow it. They see the potential. With the merger, it made sense for me to have oversight of it simply because we can unite the two combat sports businesses into the portfolio, as well as my relationship with Scott. He’s an important part. We have a lot of plans. Obviously coronavirus interrupted a lot of them. We’re anxious to get back in business.”
Espinoza said the plan is to eventually have Bellator broadcast on his premium cable network after the promotion’s distribution deals expire with DAZN and Paramount Network.
“We’re going to honor that deal,” said Espinoza. “There is no plan otherwise. In the long run, we’re going to try and grow the business in a way that is organic and rewarding to the fans … That’s the goal, generally, to have Bellator [back on Showtime and ViacomCBS properties] and use the combined power of the entire corporation. In the long term, all of those assets are going to be used to help Bellator grow. The timing of that remains to be seen, as there is a good amount of time still left on the DAZN deal.”
https://www.boxingscene.com/showtime-aims-stage-boxing-bellator-crossover-events--148841
“Whether it's fighter vs. fighter, or an event where you do both styles in the same night, the door is open, and those conversations are happening. It hasn't been determined, but I do think it will happen at some point,” said Coker. “There will be boxing guys going into MMA, and MMA guys going into boxing. That's something Stephen and I have talked about.”
“We had a lot of momentum [with Strikeforce]. It marked the end of an opportunity. We’re excited to have Bellator back. ViacomCBS is absolutely committed to it and wants to grow it. They see the potential. With the merger, it made sense for me to have oversight of it simply because we can unite the two combat sports businesses into the portfolio, as well as my relationship with Scott. He’s an important part. We have a lot of plans. Obviously coronavirus interrupted a lot of them. We’re anxious to get back in business.”
Espinoza said the plan is to eventually have Bellator broadcast on his premium cable network after the promotion’s distribution deals expire with DAZN and Paramount Network.
“We’re going to honor that deal,” said Espinoza. “There is no plan otherwise. In the long run, we’re going to try and grow the business in a way that is organic and rewarding to the fans … That’s the goal, generally, to have Bellator [back on Showtime and ViacomCBS properties] and use the combined power of the entire corporation. In the long term, all of those assets are going to be used to help Bellator grow. The timing of that remains to be seen, as there is a good amount of time still left on the DAZN deal.”
https://www.boxingscene.com/showtime-aims-stage-boxing-bellator-crossover-events--148841
