Bellator MMA was founded in 2008 by Chairman and CEO Bjorn Rebney. Under Rebney's ownership, Bellator events were structured around single-elimination tournaments. In December 2011, Viacom purchased majority ownership of Bellator, with Paramount's networks serving as the promotion's media partners in the United States. Since the fourth season in 2011, Bellators have been predominantly broadcast on Viacoms-owned networks in the U.S. Since Bellator 206, this includes all events aired by Paramount Network, as well as seven exclusive cards per-year. Bellator's deal with Showtime came to a close at the end of 2023, with Bellator 301 being the final Bellator event on Showtime.