John Martin, the new chief executive of the Professional Fighters League (PFL), has stated that his “biggest priority” is to secure an improved media rights deal in the US over the next 12 months, with the international mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion’s existing deal with ESPN nearing its conclusion.
ESPN has agreed several renewals with PFL since initially acquiring rights in 2019, with the most recent extension – a multi-year agreement – struck in 2023.
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The major sports broadcaster recently lost rights to UFC, with media giant Paramount securing a blockbuster seven-year, $7.7 billion agreement, putting ESPN in danger of potentially losing two MMA properties if a renewal with PFL isn’t reached.
With UFC off the table for the long term, PFL believes it can present an attractive proposition for any broadcaster seeking to get into the MMA business as the second biggest promotion in the world, with plans to introduce a new format and more major global events.
In an interview with GlobalData Sport (Sportcal), Martin has said: “The biggest prize at this moment in time is the United States. Over the next 12 months, that's [securing a new US media rights deal] my biggest priority.
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By GlobalData“I accepted the role to join PFL, and then the UFC deal was announced. For us, it's a terrific validation that mixed martial arts is now mainstream.
“Our partner is ESPN; they've spent most of their time focused on UFC in the past, but won’t be in business with UFC going forward. We have one more year with them, so we’re going to shift the format and focus and move away from the world tournament to one champion per weight class, one belt defendable, more of a traditional format to simplify the structure and showcase the elite fighters that PFL already has in its roster, and figure out who might want to be in the MMA category.
“If you're a media rights buyer and want to be in MMA, you don't have any ability to be with UFC anytime over the next seven years. PFL is a strong number two. Our proposition is, if you don't want to be closed out for the next seven years, come work with PFL and help us.”
Martin was named PFL CEO in July, with former chief Peter Murray transitioning to the role of CEO of PFL International.
He is a veteran media, entertainment, and sports executive with decades of leadership experience at major media companies.
Martin served as chairman and CEO of US media giant Turner from 2014 to 2018, where he managed a portfolio of cable networks, digital platforms, content properties, and sports assets, including TNT, TBS, CNN, and Turner Sports.
Prior to that, he was chief financial officer (CFO) at Time Warner, the heavyweight media, entertainment, and sports company comprising Warner Bros., HBO, Turner, Time Inc., and Time Warner Cable.
Earlier in his career, Martin served as CFO of Time Warner Cable and is credited with being an early advocate of expanding the cable distribution of UFC.
He believes the demand for MMA is huge in the US and is keen to find the right broadcast partner to elevate the PFL and significantly promote the brand.
Martin stressed: “What we’ll be looking for in a media partner is more money and consistent scheduling on a premier platform. Just as importantly, you need to market, promote, and get behind the brand, and we're doing a really good job. Our social engagement is outsized relative to our linear TV audiences.
“We want to be in business with a partner who believes in us and wants to help build our business, and we want to help solve the problems that media partners are trying to solve as well.
“There's a lot of tailwinds; estimates suggest that there were up to maybe half a dozen potential bidders for UFC before they decided to ink their deal with Paramount. We're a very attractive potential business partner where you can get behind a league, which is also unique in sport.”
He continued: “This is not a team; this is a global league. We own everything from the top of the funnel to the bottom. We own our IP and storytelling; we can package, repurpose, and redistribute, and that's part of my media sensibility. There's never been more innovative and exciting ways to get behind storytelling.
“We're a live production, events, and sports company, but over time, if we're successful, we can build that into being a fully-fledged media company. There are very few opportunities that I see as I look across the landscape where a company has a real fighting chance of being successful at scale, on a global basis. So that's why I'm excited and why I'm here.”
ESPN currently provides live coverage of the PFL regular season, playoffs, and World Championship on its linear networks and ESPN+ streaming service.
The ESPN+ PPV offering also distributes the PFL PPV Super Fight Division in the US, which launched in 2024.
UFC’s deal with Paramount spells the end for its pay-per-view model, with all premium events available to Paramount+ customers at no extra cost.
Asked if linear or streaming was a better distribution option for MMA, Martin replied: “It’s not either or. You must live in a world where you have both. Linear is going to continue to decline.
“On a like-for-like basis, in terms of linear ratings, you're looking at mid to high single digits annually in terms of just traditional linear ratings, but streaming is picking up, and there's no doubt that that train left the station several years ago and is not going to stop.
“We need to live in both worlds, so we're making sure that the company is positioned where we can succeed and program, and ultimately the world is going to move more to streaming.”
