PFL chief ‘certain’ coronavirus won’t scratch 2021 season as promotion launches free OTT app
- ‘We’re very certain we’ll execute next season,’ says Professional Fighters League CEO Peter Murray, with contingency plans in place
- US promotion looks to ‘grow brand globally in meantime’ with app featuring full fight library and World Series of Fighting archive
The Professional Fighters League may have cancelled its 2020 season because of the coronavirus pandemic, but the US-based MMA promotion has not been lying still.
CEO Peter Murray joined SCMP MMA’s Post Fight to reveal plans for its third season – set to start in the spring next year – and the company’s free new OTT app which launches next week.
“We’re very certain we’ll execute next season,” Murray said. “We’re working through the schedule right now with ESPN. With respect to how we’re gonna manage and negotiate it should the Covid-19 pandemic contract and expand into next spring, we will be focused on a made-for-TV model.
“So we’ll be ensuring we can manage it in our own bubble and we’ll have all the necessary precautions and parameters put in place to keep fighters and their teams safe, and event staff.
“Here’s what we know today – you need backup plans for your Plan A and your Plan B, so we have those in place and we’re excited to get back into the cage to fighting action.
“But in the meantime, we’re really focused on continuing to grow the brand around the world, building muscle like our OTT platform to go direct to consumers. There are over 400 million MMA fans around the world and they are absolutely underserved.”