Spike TV Launches Groundbreaking Co-Viewing App For Bellator MMA

NEW YORK, Feb. 28, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Spike TV today launched "Bellator MMA" for iPad and iPhone, giving fans the chance to experience mixed martial arts like never before with the world's most advanced co-viewing MMA app. 

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The app is available on the App Store today free on iPhone, iPad and iPod touch or at www.AppStore.com/BellatorMMA.

When the Bellator cage door closes and the gloves touch, the innovative app works in concert with the live Spike broadcast to supply fans with real-time fight data only available through the app.  Developed from the ground up to make watching live fights more immersive, viewers will have the unique ability to track expansive fighter analytics and participate in the on-air broadcast.  As "The 4th Judge," fans can score rounds with the help of real-time statistics powered by CompuStrike, a service providing data in 26 categories from arm strikes to submission attempts.

"The Bellator app is truly the first of its kind.  It allows our passionate fans to experience the fight as a virtual fourth judge – creating a level of immersion that's unparalleled in any sport," said Jon Slusser, Senior Vice President, Sports and Multiplatform Events, Spike TV.  "We see this second-screen as a game-changer.  The results from the app will actually become part of the on-air discussion.  There's nothing like that in all of sports television."

"At Bellator, we continually look for new ways to connect with our fans in a more meaningful way," said Bellator Chairman & CEO Bjorn Rebney. "This innovative app will resonate with our first-adopter audience, who will feel closer to the action than ever before."

As "The 4th Judge," viewers will be able to have their opinions known during the live telecast.  The Bellator broadcast team of Jimmy Smith and Sean Wheelock will announce the results of viewers' polling to see how fan opinion compares to their own as well as the official cageside judges. ("The 4th Judge" voting will not factor in the actual judges' decisions).

The app features historical statistics for every fighter, pre-fight fan picks, and "Favorite Fight of the Night" polling, which will be sharable via social networks. The Bellator MMA app also gives fans the opportunity to watch exclusive videos, and dig deep into fighter biographies.  "Bellator MMA" airs live on Spike TV Thursday nights at 10:00pm ET/PT from venues all across North America, featuring many of the world's best mixed martial arts fighters.

Spike TV partnered with award-winning Omnigon Communications, a digital solutions company specializing in the sports, media and entertainment industries, to create the app.

For more information, visit Bellator.com, follow Bellator on Twitter @BellatorMMA, follow Bellator Chairman & CEO Bjorn Rebney @BjornRebney and check out Bellator on Facebook at www.facebook.com/BellatorMMA  

About Bellator MMA
Bellator MMA is the world's largest tournament based Mixed Martial Arts organization. Televised to nearly 500 Million homes worldwide in over 107 countries, Bellator's majority owner is entertainment giant Viacom.  In the United States, Bellator can be seen on Spike TV, the MMA television leader. With over 150 world-class athletes under contract, Bellator is home to many of the sport's top mixed martial artists. Bellator's founder & CEO, Bjorn Rebney, is an experienced fighting sports and entertainment executive with a deep commitment to the purity and integrity of the sport of MMA and its athletes.  Bellator's core philosophy is that title shots should be earned, not given. This belief gave rise to Bellator's real sport, tournament-based format, which gives Bellator's tournaments a true playoff feel that keeps the sport true and distances itself from the subjective side of fighting sports found in organizations that utilize a matchmaking/casting formula.  Bellator MMA is comprised of an executive team that includes top industry professionals in television production, live event orchestration, fighter development/relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity and commission relations.  Bellator is based in Newport Beach, California.

About Spike TV:
Spike TV is available in 98.7 million homes and is a division of Viacom Media Networks.  A unit of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), Viacom Media Networks is one of the world's leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms.  Spike TV's Internet address is www.spike.com and for up-to-the-minute and archival press information and photographs, visit Spike TV's press site at http://www.spike.com/press.  Follow us on Twitter @spiketvpr for the latest in breaking news updates, behind-the-scenes information and photos.

About mun2
mun2 is the leading Hispanic cable network for young millennial adults 18-34.  From reality to music, on-air to digital, mun2 creates original content that resonates across a multi-screen platform.  Young, vibrant and unabashedly Latino, mun2 has a distribution to over 38 million households. The network is part of Telemundo Media, a division of NBCUniversal.    

SOURCE Spike TV