Stan Sport secures exclusive partnership with the Professional Fighters League
Stan Sport has sealed a multi-year exclusive partnership with the Professional Fighters League (PFL), the MMA organisation featuring household names such as former UFC champions Anthony Pettis and Fabricio Werdum and the greatest female boxer of all time, Claressa Shields.
This partnership marks the first time the PFL has established a presence in Australia after shaking up the global MMA landscape.
As the exclusive PFL partner in Australia, Stan Sport will carry the inaugural PFL Challenger Series, beginning this Saturday 19 February, along with the 2022 PFL Regular Season and Playoffs, including the PFL World Championship. The agreement was spearheaded by Athletic Sports Group and its subsidiary Fight Globe, the world’s largest combat sports distributor.
Additionally, Stan Sport will bring MMA fans exclusive PFL content including archival season footage from the 2019-2021 seasons and original content from PFL Studios.
Unique to the PFL is the lucrative prize money and seasonal structure, with the men and women who win the PFL playoff final in their respective weight classes each awarded a massive $1 million USD alongside a world championship crown. Additionally, the SmartCage data and analytics provided during their broadcasts are a first for MMA, giving fans a deeper understanding of the action as it unfolds.
Australian featherweight Aaron Blackie, one of the fighters vying for the major prize money, will make his PFL debut at the inaugural PFL Challenger Series on 12 March as he looks to earn a 2022 PFL Regular Season contract.
Australian light heavyweight Rob Wilkinson will also make his PFL debut during the 2022 PFL Regular Season. Wilkinson, originally from Tasmania, is known for his finishing abilities with 12 out of his 13 wins coming by way of stoppage – and he will look to continue this pattern in pursuit of the $1 million USD purse.
Stan acting chief executive officer Martin Kugeler said: “Our exclusive new partnership with the PFL will bring Australian MMA fans a world-class competition on Stan Sport. The PFL features some of the biggest names in MMA, with some trailblazing Aussie fighters joining the League in 2022.
“MMA is one of the fastest growing sports in Australia. The pedigree of the PFL’s roster combined with the League’s extraordinary production quality, will make it a key pillar in our combat sports offering.”
PFL CEO Peter Murray said: “The Professional Fighters League is proud to announce our multi-year broadcast partnership with Stan Sport in Australia beginning with the inaugural PFL Challenger Series this month. Australia is one of the fastest-growing MMA markets in the world and Stan Sport is the perfect partner to deliver our innovative products and LIVE year-round programming schedule to the fans.”
In 2021 PFL concluded a successful third season as six fighters earned world championships and $1 million USD each in prize money at the PFL World Championship, MMA’s biggest night. The league saw 100 percent audience growth in 2021 and added leading brands to its blue-chip sponsorship portfolio, with more world-class talent and events coming to MMA fans across the globe this year.
Professional Fighters League is the No.2 MMA company globally and features an elite talent roster, with 25 per cent of its fighters independently ranked in the top-25 in the world – including 2021 PFL champions Kayla Harrison, Ray Cooper III and Movlid Khaybulaev. With live event coverage in 160 countries on leading distribution platforms, a portfolio of blue-chip brand partners, and backing from major institutional and high-profile individual investors, PFL is accelerating its global expansion to deliver a unique and innovative product to more than 600 million MMA fans globally.
Stan Sport’s exclusive coverage of the Professional Fighters League commences with the PFL Challenger Series this Saturday 19th February – streaming ad-free, live and on demand.
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