Major League Wrestling engages ICM Partners for media rights distribution

The ICM Partners agency has agreed a deal with Major League Wrestling to sell television and streaming rights for the competition.

ICM Partners will also represent the league with the launch of MLW Studios, a multi-platform media studio that will offer original scripted and non-scripted programming.

The league has pointed to growth of 43 per cent in total viewers from 2018 to 2019.

Content from the New York-based MLW currently airs its weekly 60-minute Fusion programme on pay-television broadcaster beIN Sports in English and Spanish. The league also holds deals in sub-Saharan Africa with pay-television broadcaster StarTimes and in the UK and Ireland with digital terrestrial television broadcaster FreeSports, the free-to-view channel of Premier Sports.

Live events and MLW shoulder programming are distributed in 14 countries worldwide.

Court Bauer, creator and chief executive of MLW, said: “As the only free agent in the wrestling space in 2020, MLW is in a unique position in the television landscape. MLW provides an extraordinary entertainment experience, showcasing some of the sport’s most storied and iconic families, embracing the Mexican lucha libre culture and presenting original content in a 360 manner.”