EXCLUSIVE: The Professional Fighters League, MMA’s fast-growing new entrant and the first to run a regular scheduled season like other sports do, has extended a deal with ESPN starting with its 202…
, and simulcast on ESPN+ with additional event coverage broadcast on ESPN2. ESPN platforms will carry pre and post-event coverage and exclusive PFL content along the lines of last year’s four-part series on Olympic gold medalist Claressa Shields’ PFL debut and quest to become an MMA world champion. They will also push into pay-per-view.
“As the home of combat sports, ESPN looks forward to continuing to deliver exciting, live PFL events and powerful storytelling to fans, across all platforms,” said Matt Kenny, ESPN VP, President of Programming and Acquisitions. “MMA is the growth sport of this decade. There are 550 million fans around the world, it’s the third largest sport behind soccer and basketball and it’s the youngest of all major fan bases,” he said. Half of that base watches a lot and is underserved.