The Professional Fighters League (PFL) has expanded its portfolio of sponsors, announcing Rich Energy as the league’s exclusive global energy drink partner.
The first ever organisation to present MMA through a Regular Season, Playoffs and Championship format, unveiled the partnership as it adds to the growing portfolio of renowned brands partnering with PFL including Anheuser-Busch InBev, GEICO, Air Force Reserve, SeatGeek and Kaged Muscle.
Peter Murray, CEO of the PFL commented: “We welcome Rich Energy to the PFL family and are excited to partner with a leading premium and innovative brand in the Energy Drink space.
“Together, we will redefine the venue experience with the new Rich Energy Cageside Club starting this October during the 2019 PFL Playoffs in Las Vegas at Mandalay Bay and distributed on ESPN2 and ESPN+. For the first time, MMA fans along with sports & entertainment celebrities, can enjoy this unique VIP hospitality with the best view of our athletes fighting twice in one night to advance to the Championship.”
The partnership includes exclusive marketing rights to PFL IP, on-cage and on-mat branding, on-air sponsored features, ESPN commercial inventory, digital and social content, consumer promotions, and in-venue activation.
CEO of Rich Energy USA Blake Farhoumand added on the partnership: “At Rich Energy, we believe in the PFL’s vision to reimagine and grow the sport of MMA with its innovative true sport season format. We are excited to activate the PFL at retail here in the U.S. and in other international priority markets.
“Additionally, we are proud to present the first-ever Rich Energy Cageside Club where fans can experience, in venue, our genuine energy performance product combined with VIP hospitality and an exclusive, all-access floor credential to the fights.”
Forty-four fighters from six weight classes qualified for the 2019 PFL Playoffs, including: two-time Olympic gold medalist and undefeated PFL women’s lightweight Kayla Harrison, 2018 PFL featherweight champion Lance Palmer, 2018 PFL lightweight champion Natan Schulte, 2018 PFL welterweight champion Magomed Magomedkerimov, and PFL heavyweight contender Alex Nicholson.
The official start of the partnership will take place in October, when the 2019 PFL Playoffs begin at Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas on October 11. The 2019 PFL Playoffs will be featured on ESPN2, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+ — the leading multi-sport streaming service, where fighters will fight twice in one night to determine who fights for the championship and the $1 million prize on New Year’s Eve in New York City.
