The Professional Fighters League (PFL) has announced a multi-year broadcast deal with ESPN.
This is an interesting move for the sports media juggernaut, who recently obtained the broadcast rights to the UFC. PFL made the announcement today (Mon. February 25, 2019) that their events would now air on ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPN+. Also, PFL has struck a similar deal with TSN to air their cards in Canada.
PFL and ESPN’s new broadcast deal kicks off on Thursdays in May with regular season events airing through August. Then, three playoff cards will air in October before season finals on New Year’s Eve. The finals will air on ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes.
ESPN executive vice president of programming Burke Magnus had this to say in an official statement:
“We are pleased to add the PFL to our combat sports roster. This unique and innovative competition structure provides MMA fans with a great option to see some of the best fights and content in the sport.
“ESPN is the home of combat sports, and we look forward to delivering thrilling live PFL events and powerful storytelling to fans, across all platforms.”
PFL CEO Peter Murray also commented:
“We are thrilled to bring the PFL to ESPN, the undisputed leader in sports. ESPN is a ground-breaking pioneer that has fundamentally changed the way fans consume sports, and we at the PFL are reimagining MMA for fans and fighters.”
