The Professional Fighters League (PFL) mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion has bolstered its global visibility after securing Movistar+, the streaming platform of the Spanish pay-TV heavyweight, as a new broadcast partner.
Under the agreement, Movistar+ will air all 24 PFL Global and International League events in 2026 on its M+ channel, which is available to all customers on an entry-level subscription package to ensure wide visibility.
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The deal has been struck ahead of PFL hosting its first MMA show in Spain – PFL Madrid – on March 20 at the Palacio Vistalegre.
PFL chief executive John Martin said: “Partnering with Movistar Plus+ is a huge deal and opportunity for PFL. As the largest pay-TV service in Spain, and with PFL hosting the first-ever global MMA event in the country, the timing is perfect for us to bring elite MMA to their platform and subscribers.
“This is the biggest year in PFL’s history, and we plan to deliver the biggest and best events possible, and we can’t wait for the Spanish fans to witness what we have planned.”
The new rights add to the growing portfolio of Movistar+, which includes Spanish soccer’s top-tier LaLiga, pan-European soccer’s top-tier UEFA Champions League and basketball’s Euroleague, and the WOW MMA promotion.
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By GlobalDataThe new deal is the latest in a long line of recent rights deals secured by PFL as it looks to strengthen its international visibility, with the promotion most recently striking a multi-year tie-up in France with RMC Sport to provide coverage of all PFL events across France, Monaco, Andorra, Luxembourg, and Switzerland.
Ahead of the 2026 season, PFL also announced a new deal with a Chinese sports streaming platform earlier this month, while FSM Rights, a division of major US network Fox Corporation, secured rights across Mexico and Central America.
A key focus for PFL is now to secure a new media rights deal in the US, with the promotion’s existing agreement with sports network ESPN expiring later this year.
In a recent interview with GlobalData Sport (Sportcal), Martin, who was appointed as CEO in July last year, stated that agreeing a new deal in PFL’s home market is his “biggest priority” this year.
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.
The broadcaster, however, recently lost rights to the rival 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.
