The Professional Fighters League (PFL) has renewed its broadcast rights tie-up in Japan, a key growth market for the mixed martial arts promotion, with the U-Next streaming service.
Through a deal extension unveiled today, U-Next will carry on as the exclusive home in Japan for all PFL programming, including PFL Global events, PFL MENA, and PFL Africa.
Go deeper with GlobalData
Discover B2B Marketing That Performs
Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.
The renewed deal kicks off in time for the PFL Madrid event, taking place (Japanese time) early Saturday morning (March 21).
Current Japanese PFL stars include the likes of Kana Watanabe, Masayuki Kikuiri, and Takeshi Izumi.
John Martin, the PFL's chief executive, has said: "Asia is a critically important region for the global growth of MMA and for the future of the PFL. Over the past year, we have expanded our presence across the Asia-Pacific region as we aim to create new opportunities for fighters and fans. Looking ahead, our goal is to continue signing top Asian talent, deepen our partnerships across the region, and bring more PFL events to fans throughout the Asia Pacific."
Tenshin Tsutsumi, U-Next's chief executive, added: "Through our platform, we have been proud to deliver a diverse range of martial arts content from both Japan and around the world. As PFL continues to expand its global footprint with the new launch of PFL Global events, we are excited to further grow the league’s presence in Japan and bring world-class MMA competition to Japanese fans with the same passion and energy felt inside the arena."
Earlier this month, the PFL struck a wide-ranging deal with Sportradar, through which that firm will distribute betting data and betting streaming rights for the promotion.
The exclusive deal will see Sportradar sit at the heart of the promotion's global betting and gaming strategy, covering its entire sports betting ecosystem, including betting data, odds formation, live broadcasts, real-time betting wagers, and fan engagement initiatives.
