ONE Championship Will Have An American TV Deal Before The End Of 2018, Per CEO Chatri Sityodtong

[Ya' Cousin Cleon]

ONE Championship is coming to an American television network near you, and the deal will be confirmed soon.

I had an opportunity to speak with the promotion’s CEO Chatri Sityodtong on Friday about a number of things from the recent signing of Eddie Alvarez, the enormous amount of financial backing the organization has had to grow its business, to the subject of bringing it’s brand of martial arts to U.S. television. The latter piece of information

“You will see a major U.S. TV deal coming before the end of the year,” Sityodtong said. “We’re in discussions with multiple U.S. broadcasters and we’re very close to signing with one.”

The Singapore-based martial arts promotion is just seven years old. However, it that span of time, the organization has exploded with growth and popularity in Asia. It is currently the largest sports property on the continent, and it continues to grow by leaps and bounds each year.

This year has been especially noteworthy for the organization. It’s latest event, ONE: Kingdom of Heroes drew a reported 25 million viewers worldwide. These totals came from Nielsen Holdings, a data collection firm, and were pulled from ONE’s various distribution platforms (Facebook, Twitter, Asian television and the ONE app). After the American TV deal is secured, the potential for viewership and exposure will grow.

Sityodtong didn’t share the names of the networks he’s in discussion with, but when this deal takes place, ONE will deliver a different style of martial arts than most Americans have become accustomed to seeing with the UFC and Bellator. ONE’s presence will help to further diversify the number of martial arts options available for Americans to watch, which will provide choices.

 

[OfTheCross]

My preferred MMA promotion

 

[aceboon]

Maybe DAZN since they're snatching up all these smaller organizations overseas, but you gotta take anything that CEO says with a grain of salt since he's mostly full of shyt

 

[trick]

Maybe DAZN since they're snatching up all these smaller organizations overseas, but you gotta take anything that CEO says with a grain of salt since he's mostly full of shyt

Didn’t someone do a investigation into their financials and found out that they’ve been losing 9 figure sums every year?

 

[aceboon]

Didn’t someone do a investigation into their financials and found out that they’ve been losing 9 figure sums every year?

Yea, I posted it in the MMA thread, they're not making anything while burning thru venture capital funds. they're probably begging for DAZN to throw some funds their way.

 

[PHamm]

They will buy out ufc by 2025

 

[8====D]

My preferred MMA promotion

Where do you watch ONE? stream?

 

[aceboon]

Another dive into One's financials

MMA Finances: Charting ONE Championship's Financial Metrics Since Its Inception

 

[ezrathegreat]

Another dive into One's financials

MMA Finances: Charting ONE Championship's Financial Metrics Since Its Inception

This company is literally burning through money without really making a damn thing.

 

[The Guru]

One FC will possibly swap Ben Askren for Demetrious Johnson.

Pros react to potential UFC-ONE FC ‘trade’ between Ben Askren and Demetrious Johnson

 

[Skooby]

One FC will possibly swap Ben Askren for Demetrious Johnson.

Pros react to potential UFC-ONE FC ‘trade’ between Ben Askren and Demetrious Johnson

Deal complete:

UFC, ONE Championship agree to Demetrious Johnson, Ben Asken deal
By Ariel Helwani


The first major trade in MMA history is a done deal.

The UFC has officially agreed to release former flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson from his contract in order to allow him to sign with ONE Championship, sources told ESPN on Saturday.

In return, ONE has agreed to release their former welterweight champion Ben Askren from his contract in order to sign with the UFC.

Considering both fighters had multiple fights left on their respective contracts, a transaction of this magnitude has never been done before in MMA.

Both Johnson and Askren are expected to sign new deals with their new organizations in the near future, sources told ESPN.

After Johnson (27-3-1) lost the title to Henry Cejudo in August, sources told ESPN that a plan was hatched to leave the UFC. However, the UFC needed incentive to release Johnson from his deal. Sources said that's when Johnson's representatives at First Round Management came up with the idea to pitch sending Askren over to the UFC, pending his consent.

Matt Hume, Johnson's coach at AMC Pankration in Kirkland, Washington, also serves as ONE's vice president of operations.

Once all parties agreed on the parameters of the transaction, the deal was finalized.

The loss to Cejudo snapped Johnson's 13-fight win streak as well as his record streak of 11 successful title defenses.

Askren (18-0, 1 NC), a former Bellator welterweight champion, announced his retirement following his first-round victory over Shinya Aoki in November 2017. Following his announcement, however, Askren said he was open to fighting the likes of Georges St-Pierre or Rory MacDonald.

Askren and Johnson, amid recent trade reports, have acknowledged the transaction on social media. Askren has gone a step further by picking fights with some of the biggest names on the UFC roster.

Debuts for both fighters have not been set at this time.

 

[Strapped]

My preferred MMA promotion

How are you watching it