The Professional Fighters League has announced a strategic content and distribution deal with California-based sports media company WAVE.tv.
As part of the agreement, WAVE.tv will distribute PFL highlights, original short-form content, fighter profile pieces and more across its growing portfolio of media brands, with added focus on its combat sports-centric brand, Haymakers.
The accord also enables the two parties to work with companies looking to connect with a Gen Z and millennial audience.
PFL chief digital officer Dan Ghosh-Roy said: “Seventy per cent of our digital audience are millennials and WAVE.tv is a modern sports media company that operates at the intersection of sports and entertainment. They are a perfect partner as we continue to expand our reach domestically and abroad.”
The move follows the launch of the PFL’s new direct-to-consumer streaming service, called the PFL MMA app.
The OTT platform includes PFL’s entire library, from classic matchups to million-dollar championship fights, and never-before-seen World Series of Fighting match-ups. There is also original programming from its PFL Studios division, as well as exclusive, never-before-seen interviews and footage.
In July, WAVE.tv closed a Series A funding round worth $32m (€27.6m) to help build its roster of media brands and acquire companies.
The funding round, made up of both equity and debt, was led by venture capital firms CoVenture and GPS Partners and also involved existing investors Golden Ventures and Sweet Capital, along with new investors. It followed previous investment rounds that raised a total of $6.8m.
The closing of the funding round comes shortly after WAVE.tv signed a content agreement with the Endeavor-owned IMG agency. As part of that deal, WAVE.tv gained broad access to distribute content from IMG’s sports rights portfolio, including World’s Strongest Man, Edge Sport and Euroleague Basketball, across Snapchat, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and YouTube.
WAVE.tv boasts 3.2 billion monthly views and claims to reach over 200 million sports fans each month.
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