NYCB LIVE, Home of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum on Long Island, to Present the First Half of the PFL’s 2019 Regular Season with Three Major MMA Events on May 9, May 23 and June 6
Pre-Sale Tickets for PFL 1-3 at NYCB Live Available March 11, General Public Tickets On-Sale March 15
Ocean Casino Resort in Atlantic City to Present the PFL’s Final Three Regular Season MMA Events on Thursday July 11, July 25 and August 8 to Determine Final PFL Playoffs Seeding
Each Event Will Air Live Across ESPN2, ESPN+ and ESPN Deportes
The Professional Fighters League (PFL), the first organization ever to present MMA through a Regular Season, Playoffs and Championship format, today unveiled its 2019 Regular Season schedule. The PFL will return to NYCB LIVE, home of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Colosseum, for the first half of the Regular Season, consisting of three major MMA events to be held on Thursday nights May 9, May 23 and June 6. Atlantic City welcomes back the PFL for the second half of the League’s Regular Season, events 4-6, on Thursday nights July 11, July 25 and August 8 at Ocean Casino Resort. All PFL Regular Season events will be broadcast live in the U.S. on ESPN2, ESPN+ and ESPN Deportes and distributed to 130 plus countries around the world on premium linear and digital sports networks.
Pre-sale tickets for NYCB LIVE action will be available on Monday, March 11 for Long Island Behind-The-Scenes and Long Island All-Access members and Ticketmaster subscribers, and Wednesday, March 13 for American Express customers. Tickets will go on sale to the general public on Friday, March 15 and can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com and through nycblive.com.
“We are proud to announce Thursday nights this May through August will officially be MMA Night for fans in the New York/New Jersey region. NYCB Live will be the exclusive venue of the PFL’s first half of the 2019 Regular Season, events 1-3, where our world class fighters across six weight classes will begin their season long journey to earn the title of champion and take home $1 million dollars,” said Peter Murray, CEO of the Professional Fighters League. “Atlantic City, a true fight town, has welcomed the League back with open arms. We are excited to return to Ocean Casino so that local and visiting MMA fans can experience the second half of the PFL’s 2019 Regular Season, events 4-6, where every fight and point earned by our great fighters will determine who gets into the big money postseason competition.”
The PFL’s unique-to-the-sport season format means every round counts, and every fight matters. Fighters are incentivized to win and win early. The PFL will once again feature six weight classes, including a newly-formed Women’s Lightweight 155-pound division anchored by two-time U.S. Judo Olympic gold medalist Kayla Harrison. The top eight in each of the men’s five weight classes and top six in the Women’s Lightweight division advance to the playoffs. Seeding is based on points, much like fans have grown accustomed to seeing in other major sports. The faster you end a fight, the more points you earn. In year one, 65% of PFL fights ended in a knockout or submission.
“We had a taste of PFL action in 2018 and are thrilled to establish a residency in 2019, bringing more high-quality MMA action back to NYCB LIVE and Long Island,” said Brett Yormark, CEO of BSE Global. “MMA is one of the fastest growing sports in the world, and with the tremendous interest this community has for combat sports, we welcomed the opportunity to bolster our programming with the PFL. We look forward to hosting the fighters and putting on the type of entertainment Long Islanders have come to expect when visiting the venue.”
“Ocean Casino is proud to welcome back the Professional Fighters League in 2019. Atlantic City has always been synonymous with boxing and MMA. With our PFL partnership, we are bringing fans the action they crave, said Mike Donovan, Chief Marketing Officer at Ocean Casino Resort. “Ocean Casino and the PFL look forward to delivering first-class events to fans in Atlantic City.”
Fans in Long Island and Atlantic City will be able to see the full, 68-fighter roster over the course of three events.
About Professional Fighters League
The Professional Fighters League (PFL) presents MMA for the first time in the sport-season format where individual fighters control their own destiny, competing in a regular season, playoffs, and championship. PFL’s differentiated format and exciting fights sparked breakout growth for the league. PFL 2019 and 2020 Seasons are broadcast and streamed live Thursday nights, primetime on ESPN2 and ESPN+.
The PFL Season features elite MMA athletes across six weight classes, including the first-ever 155-pound women’s division, with each fighting twice during the PFL Regular Season in May, June, July, and August. The top eight fighters in each weight class advance to the single-elimination PFL Playoffs in October, where fighters must fight twice and win twice in the same night to advance to the finals. The PFL Championship is New Year’s Eve on ESPN2. Winners of each title bout will be crowned PFL World Champion of their respective weight class and earn $1 million. Additionally, fans will be delivered next-gen stats never before seen in MMA through the PFL’s proprietary SmartCage™ platform and Cagenomics™ technology.
PFL is backed by an investor group of sports, media, entertainment, and business titans. For more info visit www.PFLmma.com and follow PFL on Instagram (@PFLmma), Twitter (@ProFightLeague) and Facebook (/ProFightLeague).
About BSE Global:
BSE Global, formerly Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment, develops and operates state-of-the-art venues and manages premier sports franchises, delivering dynamic content and experiences for audiences. BSE oversees programming, marketing, sales, and operations for Barclays Center; NYCB LIVE, home of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum; LIU Brooklyn Paramount Theatre; and Webster Hall. BSE manages and controls the Brooklyn Nets and its NBA G League team, the Long Island Nets, as well as the business operations of the NHL's New York Islanders.
Barclays Center, which opened on September 28, 2012, offers 17,732 seats for basketball, 15,795 for hockey, and up to 19,000 seats for concerts, and has 101 luxury suites, four bars/lounges, four clubs, and Parm Italian Restaurant & 40/40 CLUB by Tanduay Rum.
NYCB LIVE reopened on April 5, 2017 after undergoing an extensive renovation. The venue offers 14,500 seats for basketball, MMA and boxing, 13,900 for hockey, up to 15,000 for concerts, and 4,500 seats for its theater configuration.
With a focus on emerging businesses, BSE identifies and creates alliances, strategic partnerships and other business opportunities to ensure the success of its assets.
About Ocean Casino Resort
The iconic Ocean Casino Resort sits on the New Jersey Boardwalk and is the tallest building in Atlantic City, offering unparalleled ocean views from each of its 1,399 guest rooms and suites. Situated on 20 acres, Ocean Casino Resort is part of The Unbound Collection by Hyatt Portfolio and features a 32,000 square foot on-site Exhale spa, a 140,000 square foot gaming floor, a state-of-the-art sports book in partnership with William Hill, six swimming pools, expansive meeting and convention space, and distinctive dining and entertainment options. Additionally, Ocean Casino Resort offers an industry-leading loyalty program, Ocean Premier, that provides guests at all tiers with valuable incentives and benefits. Ocean Casino Resort is owned and operated by AC Ocean Walk, LLC.
For more information, please visit us online at www.theoceanac.com, on Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat at @theoceanacor via Facebook at Ocean Resort Casino.
