The Professional Fighters League (PFL) mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion has appointed Jason Oberlander as its new chief commercial officer, continuing the restructuring of the organization’s senior leadership team.
In the role, Oberlander will lead PFL’s global partnerships business, overseeing all aspects of sponsorship strategy, revenue generation, and partner innovation.
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He will report directly to chief executive John Martin and “play a central role in accelerating the league’s commercial scale across media, brand, and live event platforms.”
Martin said: “Jason Oberlander is one of the most accomplished commercial executives in the sports industry. He has built and scaled world-class partnership organizations across leagues, venues, and global portfolios, and he understands how to create long-term value for brands at the highest level. Jason’s leadership will be a major force as PFL continues to expand.”
Oberlander has more than two decades of leadership experience in global partnerships, sponsorship revenue, and commercial growth across major sports and entertainment platforms.
He joins PFL after founding DRVN Sports & Entertainment, an agency focused on partnership development for sports, media, and entertainment properties.
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By GlobalDataIn joining the PFL, he will step back from day-to-day operations for DRVN, naming his partner as the new CEO. Prior to founding DRVN, Oberlander was chief commercial officer at venue management and events firm ASM Global.
Earlier in his career, Oberlander spent nearly a decade with Learfield and IMG College and held senior leadership roles with the NBA in global marketing partnerships.
Oberlander began his career in sports and entertainment marketing with Showtime Sports & Events, MTV Networks, and CBS-Viacom.
On joining PFL, he said: “The incredible tailwinds in the global growth of the sport, coupled with the new vision and energy from John and his executive team, are going to open up powerful opportunities for brands to engage with fight fans around the world.”
Oberlander’s appointment comes just days after PFL announced that the long-serving Peter Murray, currently the CEO of PFL International Leagues, will be leaving the organization.
As founding CEO of PFL, Murray played a key role in the growth of the league and established it as the second-largest MMA promotion.
After Martin was named as PFL’s new CEO in July last year, Murray transitioned to lead PFL International and reported directly to Martin as part of an expanded global structure.
Donn Davis, PFL founder and chairman, said: “PFL would not be here today without Pete Murray’s relentless entrepreneurship and selfless leadership. He has been my trusted and valued partner building the company and I look forward to his continued support.”
Since Martin’s arrival, PFL has made several executive hires. In November, former Warner Bros. Discovery Sports president Lenny Daniels was brought in as chief operating officer, and Justin Younghans joined as senior vice president of global partnerships.
The promotion’s commercial team also features Damian Willoughby as executive vice president of global partnerships.
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