Every martial arts fan looks forward to watching UFC and MMA events, which occur around the year. If you too would like to watch these events, does it mean you need subscriptions to two more sports streaming services? UFC is featured on ESPN+, whereas MMA is featured on CBS Sports Network. Gladly, you don’t need extra subscriptions as long as you have a cable plan that includes these channels.
With mixed martial arts, there’s always some action going on. When the fight is on, you would literally want to do nothing on the weekend but watch your favorite fighters in action. But these two events are a little hard to watch without cable. Don’t worry! Here is all the help you need to catch them on cable.
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What Networks Feature UFC and Bellator MMA Events?
Ready to watch these amazing sporting events? You are going to need the following networks:
ESPN
UFC fights are exclusively broadcasted on ESPN and the streaming app of the network as know ESPN+. The app also contains old fights. You will have lots of content to dive deep into.
With your subscription to this streaming app, you will be able to watch UFC Pay Per View events, UFC Fight Nights, Replays, Professional Fighters League, Tuesday Night Contender Series, and other top-ranking boxing events.
CBS Sports Network
Recently, CBS Sports Network has received broadcasting rights for Bellator MMA. The good news is all preliminary flights started with Bellator 247 will be available on this network. All domestic and international events will be aired on CBS Sports live.
CBS Sports is available through all major cable and telco companies. It’s also available on YouTube TV, Hulu, and fuboTV. You can stream the network through the CBS Sports apps or CBSSports.com provided that you have a subscription to CBS Sports Network.
Viacom has been strong about MMA since 2015. Initially, they were broadcasting Bellator through MTV2, and Paramount. Finally, the events will now be covered by a sports channel. It’s a great opportunity to broadcast some of the best and biggest events in sports.
How to Watch UFC and Bellator Mixed Martial Arts?
To catch the games live, you will need the above two networks. Of course, you can hunt down some of the events online even if you don’t have a streaming service subscription. But this would consume a lot of your precious time. And then the question arises: Is streaming illegal? So you are better off signing up for a cable plan that includes both these networks.
It’s not hard to find ESPN and CBS Sports Network on cable. You just have to prepare yourself to pay an extra price. These networks are usually available on upper-tier plans by cable providers. You may however find ESPN in some of the lower tier plans on some cable providers.
Now that it’s clear you need a cable subscription and you might have to sign up for an upper-tier plan, there’s one more thing to take note of. You must also be certain that the cable provider you planning to subscribe to is available in your zip code. Here are the top three picks to watch UFC and Bellator MMA based on price and availability:
Cox
The provider isn’t just famous for its Cox Gigablast, it’s also one of the most celebrated cable TV company in America. It’s available in 18 states which include Nevada, California, Florida, and Arizona. ESPN and CBS Sports Network are offered in the Contour Ultimate plan. This package includes 250 channels in total so you will have a lot more to enjoy.
Optimum
It’s the 8th largest cable and telco company in the USA coverage Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. The provider has three cable plans – Core TV, Select TV, and Premium TV. Each cable package features ESPN and CBS Sports Network.
If you think Cox bill pay will be out of your budget, for now, you can settle for Optimum’s basic plans and get both networks at a bargain.
Spectrum
Spectrum has the widest coverage. Its internet, phone, and cable TV services are available across 44 states. ESPN is offered with all three cable plans, i.e. TV Select, Silver, and Gold. However, the CBS Sports Network is only available with Silver and Gold plans.
Now it’s up to you which cable provider you want to go with to watch live and exclusive MMA fights on.
