The Professional Fighters League (PFL), the first mixed-martial arts organization to present the sport in a playoffs and championship format, reached a multiyear deal with ESPN making its TV networks and ESPN+ streaming service the exclusive home of the PFL in the U.S.
PFL launched its inaugural season in 2018, with an initial TV deal with NBCUniversal’s NBCSN sports network. Investors in the PFL include Kevin Hart, self-help guru Tony Robbins, MGM Television chairman Mark Burnett, billionaire tech entrepreneur Ted Leonsis and Riot Games co-founder Brandon Beck.
ESPN has a newfound appetite for MMA: The Disney-owned sports programmer landed a $1.5 billion, five-year deal for the UFC’s TV rights package, nabbing them from Fox Sports. ESPN and ESPN+ began carrying UFC bouts last month. UFC views upstarts like PFL as complementary — sort of like the minor leagues of MMA — and helping to promote the sport’s overall popularity.
