Each episode will last 52 minutes, and the last episode will be broadcast on December 17, 2020.
BeIN Sports has acquired the rights to the second season of Karate Combat – a professional, full-contact karate league – in a 37-market deal which spans five continents and includes the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), with one episode airing every week, over a period of 12 weeks.
BeIN Sports channels HD1 (Arabic) and HD12 (English) will broadcast weekly episodes of Karate Combat in North America, the MENA region, Turkey, and 10 countries in Asia-Pacific. Each episode will last 52 minutes, and the last episode will be broadcast on December 17, 2020.
Karate Combat‘s roster features more than 150 men and women from over 40 countries including Hebbal Mohammed and Ayoub Zakaria from Morocco as well as European Champion Edgars Skrivers competing in the league’s patented pit. It is the first sports league to blend real-time virtual effects with world-class athletics.
The first season captured fights in well-known locations including the top floor of One World Trade Center. The second season will see real-world fights with special effects. Season two features bouts in four virtual worlds rendered real-time using Unreal Engine, the video game engine behind Fortnite.
The fights are hosted by combat sports legend Bas Rutten with special guests ranging from Hollywood celebrities to NFL athletes.
Commenting on the acquisition, Rob Bryan, CEO of Karate Combat said: “Necessity is the mother of invention, and our second season of Karate Combat is one step ahead of the game. Forget virtual fans and fight islands. We are rebuilding sports from the ground up to give fans something wildly entertaining. beIN Sports will bring our full contact entertainment to the world.”
Duncan Walkinshaw, director of programmes for beIN MENA added: “BeIN Sports is thrilled to add an exciting new competition to its ever-growing portfolio of world-class sports content. The second season of Karate Combat will be available exclusively on beIN Sports in 37 markets across five continents including the Middle East and North Africa. With 12 dedicated episodes airing every two weeks, our subscribers will enjoy exhilarating fights in the world’s first professional, full-contact karate league.”
