France: DAZN signs PFL deal
January 18, 2024
Sports streaming platform DAZN and the Professional Fighters League (PFL), have announced a new partnership making DAZN the exclusive broadcaster of all PFL events in France.
The news comes following the PFL’s first-ever event in Paris in 2023, that was voted the No. 1 MMA crowd of 2023 and broke audience viewing figures in France, with fans witnessing Cedric Doumbe (5-0) achieve a viral 9-second knockout. The challenge of the undefeated hugely rated prospect Baissangour ‘Baki’ Chamsoudinov (8-0) represents perhaps the toughest opponent of ‘The Best’s’ career to-date with the two Paris natives set to leave it all in the SmartCage on March 7th live from the Accor Arena on DAZN.
In addition to the return of Doumbe, the Accor Arena will also witness the start of the PFL Europe Season, which will see a host of new talent from across Europe make their PFL debuts, along with some returning faces, all looking to begin their ‘Path to Greatness’ for the PFL Europe Championship belt and $100,000 in prize money.
The deal between the PFL and DAZN in France will first begin with the pay- per-view mega event – PFL Champions vs Bellator Champions – from the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on February 24th.
French MMA fans can enjoy exclusive and live access to the fights all year round.
Shay Segev, DAZN Group CEO, commented: “This new partnership shows our ambition for DAZN in France. This partnership with such a prestigious league is key to develop our sports portfolio with premium content and become the preferred destination for all sports fans, in a country where MMA is hugely popular. DAZN will focus on delivering the highest quality entertainment through cutting-edge technology and easier accessibility to top level fights, including cards with world-renowned Cedric Doumbe, and play a positive role to help develop MMA in France.”
Peter Murray, PFL CEO, added: “I’m excited about the continued strategic partnership between PFL and DAZN as we begin the second season of PFL Europe with a massive event at the Accor Arena in France on March 7,” Murray said. “DAZN gives PFL fans the opportunity to watch our top European talent compete inside the SmartCage as we continue to grow our presence around the globe.”