Includes New Pick ‘Em Style Fantasy Game for 2018 World Championship
DraftKings and the Professional Fighters League today announced a strategic partnership that will bring MMA fans a new way to immerse themselves in the sport starting with the PFL Championship on New Year’s Eve.
“The winners in this partnership are MMA fans, first with fantasy and eventually gaming,’” said Donn Davis, Co-Founder and Chairman of Professional Fighters League, “PFL is re-imagining MMA, and we look forward to collaborating with DraftKings to offer new engagement for fans while creating new revenue streams for our business.”
The PFL season started with 72 fighters and concludes with the best two fighters in each of the six weight classes competing in six final fights in one epic night. The 2018 PFL World Championship Pick ‘Em fantasy game is easy to play, as sports fans simply predict four outcomes for each of the six fights: Who will win the fight? What will the method of victory be? In what round will each fight end? At what time within that round will the fight end? The game will feature a live leaderboard for players to track their position in real time, and DraftKings will award $25K in guaranteed prizing.
“Our partnership with the Professional Fighters League is another example of our dedication to innovation and our never ending quest to expand our sports offerings” said Ezra Kucharz, Chief Business Officer at DraftKings. “Like our customers, PFL fans are extremely engaged and passionate, and this collaboration is an excellent example of what DraftKings seeks in partners who can connect with our growing community of players.”
MMA has more than 260 million fans worldwide and continues to grow domestically and internationally. To serve this massive MMA fan base, DraftKings and the PFL are reshaping the MMA fan sports entertainment experience through a creative partnership that continues through the 2019 PFL season, which will include additional custom fantasy games and other gaming innovations.
The 2018 World Championship Pick ‘Em fantasy game will launch on Friday, December 21st.
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About DraftKings
DraftKings is a global sports technology and entertainment company that believes life is more fun with skin in the game. Its mission is to bring fans closer to the games they love via a unique combination of daily fantasy sports, sports betting and media platforms that, combined, deliver "The Game Inside The Game." Founded in 2012 by Matt Kalish, Paul Liberman and Jason Robins, DraftKings is headquartered in Boston, MA, and offers daily fantasy sports contests across 11 professional sports in 8 countries including the U.S., Canada, U.K and Australia. Operating pursuant to state regulations in New Jersey and Mississippi, DraftKings Sportsbook mobile and retail, allows players in the state to engage in betting for major U.S. and international sports.
About Professional Fighters League
The Professional Fighters League (PFL) presents MMA for the first time in the sport format where individual fighters compete in a regular season, playoffs, and championship. PFL Season has 72 Elite MMA athletes across 6 weight-classes, with each fighting twice in the PFL Regular Season in June, July, and August. The top 8 fighters in each weight-class advance to the single-elimination PFL Playoffs in October. The PFL Championship is New Year’s Eve in Madison Square Gardens with the finals in each of six weight classes competing for the $10 million prize pool. The PFL is broadcast live on NBC Sports Network (NBCSN) and streamed live worldwide on Facebook Watch. Founded in 2017, the PFL is backed by group of sports, media, and business titans. For more info visit PFLmma.com.