ESPN Signs Exclusive Rights Deal With MMA League PFL

ESPN has signed an exclusive rights deal in the United States with the Professional Fighters League (PFL), a mixed martial arts competitor to the UFC.

All 10 PFL events will air live across ESPN2 and the company’s streaming platform, ESPN+, with up to three hours of exclusive action live on ESPN+ and up to two exclusive hours live on ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes. TSN (The Sports Network) has the rights to the PFL in Canada.

Unlike the UFC, which ESPN also airs, the PFL features a more traditional regular season, playoffs and championship format.

Also Read: ESPN Becomes Sole TV Home to UFC in $1.5 Billion Mega-Deal

Six five-hour PFL regular season events will take place primarily on Thursday nights from May to August, and three PFL playoff events will take place in October, with coverage also carried across ESPN+, ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes. PFL Playoff events will feature the top eight fighters in each of the competition’s six weight classes attempting to fight-and-win twice in the same night to advance to the PFL Championship.

The season culminates with the PFL 2019 Championship on New Year’s Eve with world title fights in every weight class live exclusively on ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes. Winners of each title bout will be crowned PFL World Champion in their weight class and earn $1 million.

“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,” said Burke Magnus, ESPN executive vice president, programming and scheduling. “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.”

Danica Patrick, Sage Steele and Sister Survivors Lead Female Empowerment at espnW Summit (Photos)

The ninth annual espnW: Women + Sports Summit kicked off at the Pelican Hill Resort in Newport Beach, California, on Monday, where the biggest names in sports, business and media tackled difficult topics from sexual abuse, gender equality and creating opportunities for athletes with special needs.
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On Monday afternoon, Danica Patrick told Hannah Storm how she's become a "small business owner" since retiring from professional motor racing earlier this year.
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ESPN's Hannah Storm interviewed 2018 ESPYs host, NASCAR and IndyCar champion, Danica Patrick.
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Nine-time host Sage Steele opened the espnW Summit Monday afternoon.
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Olympic gold medalists Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson, Hilary Knight, Meghan Duggan and Kendall Coyne Schofield talked with Julie Foudy about standing up to the International Ice Hockey Federation in their fight for equality.
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Beth Mowins, Doris Burke, Sage Steele, Sam Ponder and Maria Taylor join forces for "Breaking Barriers in Sports Media" panel.
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Connor Schell, ESPN executive vice president, content, laughed and swapped notes with Sage Steele ahead of the "Breaking Barriers in Sports Media" panel.
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Grammy-nominated singer Andra Day talked to espnW's "Be Honest" host and "SportsCenter" co-anchor Cari Champion about her empowering hit song "Rise Up," which became the anthem for the week.
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Andra Day got the crowd in on the action as they surged the stage to close out her intimate performance on Monday night.
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"SportsCenter" co-anchor Cari Champion presented her signature "Be Honest" segment.
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Maverick Carter proved he's so much more than LeBron James' best friend and manager when he detailed their growing entertainment empire. Stressing the importance of authenticity, "if you build it on bulls--t, it won’t last," he told Cari Champion.
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"Sister Survivors" Olympic gold medalist Jordyn Wieber and Sarah Klein talked with ESPN's Mina Kimes about testifying against Dr. Larry Nassar and fighting to make gymnastics safe for all girls.
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ESPN president Jimmy Pitaro flew in from New York City just for a W Spotlight conversation with Sage Steele on Wednesday (pictured with director espnW Rachel Epstein), where he talked about both successes and failures, including letting his family dogs escape when first moving to Connecticut to take his new job.
Aspiring business women from around the world gathered on the stage to honor the Global Sports Mentoring Around the World on Tuesday night.
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An international soccer breaks out ahead of the Global Sports Mentoring Around the World presentation.
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Andra Day’s ”Rise Up“ becomes the theme song for ESPN’s annual gathering of the world’s female athletes, leaders in the sports world and industry influencers

The ninth annual espnW: Women + Sports Summit kicked off at the Pelican Hill Resort in Newport Beach, California, on Monday, where the biggest names in sports, business and media tackled difficult topics from sexual abuse, gender equality and creating opportunities for athletes with special needs.

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Danica Patrick, Sage Steele and Sister Survivors Lead Female Empowerment at espnW Summit (Photos)

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