FuboTV is upping the ante of its coverage in the new year with the PFL Challenger Series available on the platform starting on February 18, 2022, through April. The MMA promotion will run on both the digital platform and also be available as part of the Fubo Sports Network, the company’s linear network.
Dropping a call to the New York Post, David Gandler, the company’s co-founder and CEO, talked about the MMA and the relationship that Fubo has been able to establish with the MMA throughout 2021.
The Challenger League is not the biggest part of the promotion, but it’s a worthwhile addition to fuboTV’s programming which is focused on delivering on every level of the sport. The PFL Challenger Series is an opportunity for competitors to break ground into the professional organization, which is also a rival to the Ultimate Fighting League.
Top Sports Talent to Judge PFL Fighters
FuboTV will also cover the Challenger Series in the company of Mike Tyson, Ray Lewis, and Todd Gurley, who will be judges during the competitions. The winners of the Challenger Series, though, will be awarded contracts to join the full league by Ray Sefo, who is PFL’s president of fighter operations, and who will more or less pick fighters he thinks are deserving.
Company CEO Peter Murray told The Post that much of the PFL Challenger Series would be about elevating the experience for all, including the fighters participating in the league. FuboTV will also serve as an official gambling sponsor of the PFL, thanks to its dedicated namesake platform, Fubo Sportsbook.
The sportsbook is already operating in Iowa, after officially launching in November, and it holds several market access deals in Indiana, Arizona, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, although final approvals are still pending.
According to The Post, the deals for the main PFL events and the Challenger Series are separate, and not related to each other when negotiating. Commenting for the publication, Murray explained that the PFL is looking to tangibly scale up the events offered, with six international qualifiers on the cards.
Betting a Component of the Partnership
A total of 25 events may be held under the PFL banner in 2022, the executive explained. Fans who love both the MMA and the opportunity to bet on the outcome of sports will be able to tap into the FuboTV free-to-play predictive games and do just that.
Commenting on the partnership with the organization, Gandler said that the collaboration allows FuboTV to differentiate its programming with exclusive MMA content, adding:
“FuboTV believes the future of sports television will be interactive. This partnership will give our audience unprecedented ways to interact and engage with the PFL.”
FuboTV co-founder and CEO David Gandler
Gandler and his team are now ready to bring interactive sports experiences to MMA fans as confirmed by the executive himself. Fubo is also an authorized gaming partner of NASCAR.