ONE Championship has expanded their market to America, signing a three-year broadcast deal with Turner Sports that begins in January.
ESPN’s Ariel Helwani reported the announcement from ONE Championship.
Their events will air live on B/R Live, which is a $10 per month subscription service through Bleacher Report. Taped events will air on TNT after the fact, as well as a reality show. The first of 24 live shows in 2019 as a part of the deal will take place on January 19.
Now Bellator has significant competition for the number-two spot as far as MMA promotions go. ONE Championship shored up their talent pool with the signings of Sage Northcutt, Demetrious Johnson, Yoshihiro Akiyama and Eddie Alvarez this year, in addition to adding Meisha Tate in an executive role. An improving talent pool and consistently live events add to the attractiveness of the Asian promotion.
Northcutt is expected to debut on February 22, Mighty Mouse on March 31, and Alvarez being a possibility for either date.
Currently, ONE Championship’s events air live on the promotion’s app. Turner Sports is certainly an upgrade, as they are the premier network for NBA games in America. This deal seemed to be brewing the last few months as the signings of ONE Championship indicated something big to come.
Being on B/R Live will also help ONE avoid true viewership numbers (shows on TNT can be written off due tape delay. ONE CEO Chatri Sityodtong boasts outstanding numbers for ONE’s live events, and that can be expected to continue as streaming service numbers are typically kept private.
