This gaming giant knows how to monetize its content. The Professional Fighters League (PFL), the first organization to showcase mixed martial arts in a true sport format, launched their debut season with a night of exciting match-ups that featured five first-round finishes and a few unexpected upsets. Via the use of Fan Tokens, the PFL intends to. The Professional Fighters League has raised $65 million in new financing to spur growth ahead of its 2021 season, which kicks off in April. At the same time, few competitors have an edge over the company in either of those categories. Apr 15, 2021, Copyright, Trademark and Patent Information. "Win your fight, move up in the rankings and get the next fight. April 5, 2021. All Rights Reserved. The Professional Fighters League (PFL) MMA tournament has become the latest sports organisation to secure a partnership with Socios.com, to utilise the firm’s Fan Token products. Tencent's status as a massive media conglomerate with stakes in many leading gaming companies (and hit titles of its own, including Honor of Kings and League of Legends) makes it a great means of investing in the overall momentum of video games and esports. Impressive history of extending the life of its franchises. Activision Blizzard (NASDAQ:ATVI) has made a more aggressive push into esports than most other video game companies. Benefits from the success of other companies’ video game franchises. Makers and distributors of films, TV shows, music, and other programming. Saudi Arabia could be key for the PFL. Investors who own a diversified portfolio of stocks probably already have holdings in companies with at least a small degree of exposure to esports -- particularly investors who own exchange traded funds (ETFs) that include video game companies, such as ETFMG Video Game Tech ETF (NYSEMKT:GAMR). Murray said the PFL is "having conversations" about expanding to Saudi Arabia. "It's a market where there's demand at many levels for expanded sports content from a distribution standpoint, from a live event on the ground standpoint, and developing future athletes.". Get this delivered to your inbox, and more info about our products and services. One banker, who spoke with CNBC on the condition of anonymity, compared the PFL to the XFL's two failed attempts to take on the NFL, for example. The video game industry has typically been riskier than the market at large, and many companies in the space have valuations that price in expectations for substantial long-term growth. Train while Wearing your favorite fighters gear! Impressive history of creating new intellectual properties. The 2019 Professional Fighters League Championship features six $1 million titles beginning at 7 p.m. If you keep an eye out for these, and you may find a fruitful stock. Finden Sie perfekte Stock-Fotos zum Thema Professional Fighters League sowie redaktionelle Newsbilder von Getty Images. These brand-name companies with $200 billion-plus market caps still have plenty of gas in the tank. Donn Davis - Professional Fighters League Co-founder & Chairman, joined Yahoo Finance to discuss the leagues upcoming season. It also has a small but fast-growing advertising segment. Davis said the PFL is two years away from breaking even as it looks to solicit more investors for its $50 million round. Esports companies make money through broadcast licensing deals, merchandise, live-event ticket sales, sponsorships, advertising, and other channels. Take-Two Interactive's (NASDAQ:TTWO) esports push is at a less developed stage than those of companies like Activision, EA, and Tencent. "Every fight is a Game 7.". "It's a dynamic market," Murray said of the Middle East. There will be some new faces in the Professional Fighters League heavyweight and women’s lightweight divisions this season. Investors will soon learn how the COVID-19 pandemic affected the e-commerce titan's results for the first quarter of 2021. Huya makes money by allowing viewers to tip broadcasters and then taking a portion of the contributions. "We see huge opportunity internationally that never existed before," Davis said. At the forefront of creating organized esports leagues that attract professional ownership, broadcast partners, and advertisers. Tencent Holdings (OTC:TCEHY) is a highly diversified Chinese tech stock and media giant, with performance subject to a wide variety of projects and investments in areas outside of gaming and esports. ESPN. Stockholders can find safety and profit in these two inflation hedges. The Professional Fighters League raised a $30 million Series C funding round that was led by Jimmy Iovine, a Beats cofounder and the chairman of Interscope Records. Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden, New York, New York, United States. EVERYDAY GEAR - LEAGUE APPROVED . The publisher's enthusiasm makes a lot of sense. What … PFL Chairman Donn Davis said the MMA series is valued at $300 million and raised $105 million since its inception in 2018. Adam Levy | Sign up for free newsletters and get more CNBC delivered to your inbox. Every fight is an elimination fight," he added. Find the perfect Professional Fighters League stock photos and editorial news pictures from Getty Images. Apr 17, 2021, Matthew Frankel, CFP and Jason Hall | Investors might wonder how to profit from a business built on audiences watching others play video games. Activision Blizzard's games have consistently ranked as some of the most watched on Amazon's (NASDAQ:AMZN) Twitch platform, and the publisher has been one of the most proactive companies in setting up the kind of professional sports leagues that could be key in taking esports to the next level. A picture taken on March 26, 2020, shows a car driving on a road next to the King Abdullah Financial City in the Saudi capital Riyadh, after the Kingdom began implementing an 11-hour nationwide curfew, on the day of an emergency G20 videoconference, to discuss a response to the COVID-19 crisis. In addition to ETFs that bundle a variety of gaming and esports stocks together, investors should also look at individual companies in the space. … Apr 16, 2021, Danny Vena | Chairman Donn Davis says the mixed martial arts series Professional Fighters League is valued at $300 million and has raised $105 million since its start in 2018. The company's hugely popular Grand Theft Auto series hasn't waded into the world of esports, but GTA V’s online mode generated fantastic player engagement -- suggesting big esports potential. "PFL Europe, PFL Russia, PFL Latin America – giving those territories their own PFL league." Leader in the sports-game genre. Professional Fighters League2021 Season begins Apr 23, 2021 Shop Now $10 Preseason Special. While esports has come a long way in a relatively short time, it's still a very young category with tons of untapped potential. Company profile page for Professional Fighters League/The including stock price, company news, press releases, executives, board members, and contact information Esports and gaming video content already have a large audience, and there's a lot of opportunity to continue expanding that reach, developing compelling content, and honing lucrative marketing strategies. insider.com Former 3-time UFC title challenger Kenny Florian joins PFL commentary booth ahead of season opener April 23 Strange as it might sound, coverage of other people playing video games has already demonstrated impressive pull as spectator entertainment -- and it has a huge runway for growth. PFL CEO Peter Murray, a former senior executive at the National Football League, said the PFL wants to maintain visibility and the momentum it captured during its New Year's Eve mega event held in New York. It is the first major MMA organization in which individual athletes compete in a regular season, post-season, and championship, rather than on a year-round basis. The Professional Fighters League is an American mixed martial arts league founded in 2018, following the acquisition of the former World Series of Fighting promotion in 2017. Madden and FIFA stand as two of the biggest franchises in gaming, and EA can tap into excitement surrounding real-world sports seasons. Oct 31 2019. Apr 15, 2021, Will Healy | This industry is rapidly changing in the current economic climate. Instead of focusing on professional leagues, it's often made tournaments accessible to all players. "Donn's premise is: Let's take the Dana White and Don King aspect out of MMA, and let's run it like other professional sports leagues," said McLaren. The PFL wants to build its media rights market after a deal with ESPN expires following the 2021 season. For example, this season’s NFL Pro Bowl will be conducted as a Madden game -- with NFL players competing against each other virtually instead of on the field as they normally would. Data is a real-time snapshot *Data is delayed at least 15 minutes. The PFL said its audience has grown 46% year-over-year in 2019, and the league has many high-profile investors, including Kevin Hart, Mark Burnett, Randy Couture, Washington Wizards and … There's a lot of crossover between the audiences of sports leagues and video game enthusiasts, and Electronic Arts' (NASDAQ:EA) strong position in licensed content gives it the potential to appeal to existing fan bases and develop new ones. After promoting events as World Series of Fighting, this newly-renamed combat sports league features tournaments and seasons to crown legitimate Champions in every weight class. Wählen Sie aus erstklassigen Inhalten zum Thema Professional Fighters League in höchster Qualität. But there are a few indicators of a great esports company. Impressive history of creating new intellectual properties. The eight fighters slated to compete at Friday’s inaugural Professional Fighters League event tipped the scales to make those bouts official Thursday. Has one of the strongest overall franchise catalogs in the video game industry. Fighters receive $1 million if they win. Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund could invest in sports leagues to provide more sporting events. Although the PFL has distribution in place, and Davis praises the series' 40% stake of Ultimate Fighting Championship, or UFC, audience, some sports bankers are skeptical the PFL can continue its pre-pandemic growth. Founded in 1993 by brothers Tom and David Gardner, The Motley Fool helps millions of people attain financial freedom through our website, podcasts, books, newspaper column, radio show, and premium investing services. The industry’s nascent state and coronavirus-related uncertainty make growth difficult to forecast, and projections vary greatly depending on how they define the market and other factors. PFL USA T-SHIRT. When you turn on a PFL fight, you know that fighter is fighting for his life. Letter delivered by first class postage prepaid mail or courier to Professional Fighters League at the following address: 8000 Westpark Drive, Suite 610 McLean, VA 22102 Attn: Legal Department 10. Fighter Training Dri Fit Tee . Skip Navigation Markets Apr 15, 2021, Sean Williams | A Division of NBCUniversal. With Randy Couture, Caroline Pearce, Sean O'Connell, Yves Edwards. Strength in licensed content creates the potential to bridge fans of established franchises and sporting leagues into the esports space. PFL price is up 11.2% in the last 24 hours. It's spearheaded by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Campbell McLaren, the co-creator of UFC and current CEO of MMA series "Combate Americas," said the PFL series stands out from the UFC with a regular season format. However, most expectations point to rapid growth. Select from premium Professional Fighters League of the highest quality. China will likely be one of the biggest growth markets for esports. Companies will face challenges developing their esports businesses, but approaching the video game industry and esports investments with a buy-to-hold mentality could deliver big returns if they continue on their current trajectory. A vast sector that often overlaps with the esports industry. (Photo by FAYEZ NURELDINE / AFP) (Photo by FAYEZ NURELDINE/AFP via Getty Images), UFC President Dana White on coronavirus impact on sports, according to Bloomberg has a 90% grip on MMA market share. The PFL is not like other MMA firms because it operates not on a ranking system, but like a traditional American sports league that has a regular season, playoffs, and championships. Professional Fighters League - 2019 Season PFL Championships. In partnership with Chiliz, the Professional Fighters League announced it will launch Fan Token, a collectible digital asset, to increase engagement. Though this company already dominates in multiple industries, there's still likely more big upside ahead for both its business and its stock. You know these companies are big, but you might still be surprised at these incredible figures. The Professional Fighters League is seeking to lure more investors in an effort to expand internationally. The PFL offers MMA in … Forefront of creating organized esports leagues that attract Professional ownership, broadcast partners, and advertisers, few have... To make those bouts official Thursday League Championship features six $ 1 million beginning! 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