PFL and CANAL+ Sign Multi-Year Media Rights Deal for Sub-Saharan Africa
The Professional Fighters League (PFL), the fastest growing and most innovative sports league, has announced a multi-year media rights agreement with CANAL+, the longest standing and market share leader in French-speaking Sub-Saharan Africa, for French language rights. The partnership also includes Myanmar and Haiti where CANAL+ broadcasts several top sports competitions.
CANAL+ will provide live localized programming, continuing across all PFL Global, PFL Europe, PFL MENA, Bellator Champions Series, PFL Super Fights, selected PFL and Bellator archives, and also PFL Africa which will launch in 2025 and will benefit from the prime exposure offered by Canal+ Sport channels in Sub-Saharan Africa, where CANAL+ will carry PFL action live with French commentary on linear channels to nearly 8 million homes.
The Professional Fighters League could not be more excited to partner with Canal+ bringing our brand to French-speaking Sub-Saharan Africa. The PFL believes strongly in connecting with MMA fans in areas that have been traditionally underserved in the sport and doing so in their native languages. Canal+ is the sports media brand that lives in the hearts and minds of the French speaking population in Sub-Saharan Africa and is synonymous with premium sport.
James Frewin, Managing Director International, PFL
We are proud to bring PFL to our African subscribers. Fighting competitions, and MMA leagues in particular, attract ever larger audiences of fans among African audience. And we are all the more thrilled to partner with a dedicated PFL franchise in Africa and broadcast top fights with stars such as Francis Ngannou or Cedric Doumbe. This perfectly fits our strategy of promoting African sport on the continent and beyond.
Jacques du Puy, CEO, CANAL+ International
The 2024 PFL Global Season and Global Season Playoffs are available live across ESPN platforms in the U.S. and via DAZN in Canada, Europe and additional premium sports platforms internationally.
PFL is the only organization in MMA with the sports-season format, where individual fighters compete in a Regular Season, Playoffs, and Championship each year. The combined roster of PFL and Bellator boasts 30% of its fighters independently world-ranked in the top 25 of their respective weight-class. PFL has an expansive global vision for the sport and is building the “Champions League of MMA” with PFL Europe, PFL MENA, and more international leagues in development. PFL leads in technology and innovation, with its proprietary PFL SmartCage, powering fight analytics, real-time betting, AI scoring, and a next-generation viewing experience. PFL is available on ESPN/ESPN+ in the U.S., DAZN in Canada and Europe and broadcast and streamed in 160 countries with 20 premium media distribution partners.
