# BattleBots

- Canonical: https://robot-fighting-championship.com/leagues/battlebots
- Record family: leagues
- Stable ID: battlebots
- Data snapshot: 2026-08-02T00:00:00Z
- Data source: fixture

## Direct answer

BattleBots is the most widely watched robot combat competition in the world: a knock-out tournament of 250 lb wheeled machines, televised in the United States since 2000 and running a professional league since 2026.

## Classification

- **Record status**: Active league
- **Entity kind**: sports-league
- **Field role**: core
- **Competition class**: Heavyweight wheeled combat · televised tournament
- **Control mode**: Remote control
- **Hardware field**: Open / class-defined field

## History

The first BattleBots competitions were held in 1999 without broadcast, with television following in 2000. The property has changed broadcasters several times and historically ran Lightweight, Middleweight, Heavyweight and Super Heavyweight classes before settling on a single heavyweight division.

## Format

Single-elimination bracket. Machines are remotely piloted by human drivers; there is no autonomy claim, which is the clearest line between this format and the autonomous humanoid leagues also indexed here.

## Broadcast

Televised seasons plus official highlight distribution. Audience figures are broadcaster-reported and are not merged with the self-reported view counts published by humanoid leagues.

## Verification boundary

Founding year, weight class and current status are primary-source backed. Season-by-season results are not yet indexed here — The Builders Database and Robot Combat Events hold the deeper record.

## Rules status

**Published weight class and format.** BattleBots publishes its weight limit and tournament format; the full technical rulebook governing weapon and safety compliance is maintained separately and is not reproduced here.

- **Weight class**: 250 lb — Single heavyweight division
- **Control**: Remotely piloted — No autonomy claim
- **Format**: Single elimination — Televised bracket

## Evidence claims

No published records.

## Events

No published records.

## Fights

No published records.

## Robots

No published records.

## Teams

No published records.

## People

No published records.

## Rules

No published records.

## Relationships

No published records.

## Media

No published records.

## Primary sources

- [Official site — BattleBots](https://battlebots.com): Competition identity, format and current season.
- [Official site — BattleBots](https://battlebots.com): Weight class and competition format.

## Citation boundary

Use the canonical HTML page for visible evidence state, context, corrections and source relationships. This Markdown representation is generated from the same published Project H record and contains no draft or private fields.