ONE Championship leading the way in Asian sports market with MMA booming

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  • One Championship is set to hit the Philippines in April 2015.

    ONE Championship hit Dubai for the first time in August 2014 and has grown to become the number one sports media property in Asia. This is an incredible feat for a mixed martial arts promotion that only burst onto the scene in 2011. 

    With a mix of Olympic level athletes like Welterweight champion Ben Askren and Japanese legend Shinya Aoki, as well as local heroes that viewers can relate to, ONE has the perfect blend of fighters and world-class production to pack out arenas all over Asia. 

    It appears that mixed martial arts is becoming increasingly popular in the United Arab Emirates. Last week Abu Dhabi Warriors was on in the capital then Glory 20: Dubai is April 3. Global Fighting Championship, UFC and ONE Championship are expected to return later this year.

    ONE Championship, previously known as ONE Fighting Championship (ONE FC), entered the Asian market at the perfect time because broadcasting rights are at an all-time high. The Barclays Premier League recently sold broadcasting rights in Britain alone for more than £5 billion over the next three years, while the National Basketball Association struck a nine-year, US$24 billion deal with ESPN and Turner Sports last year. 

    As the rest of television moves towards live streaming and subscriptions, live sports’ contribution to premium content on television grows even larger. ONE Championship has leveraged this growth to be broadcast to over 70 countries all over the world, and the number continues to grow at an exponential rate. While the numbers alone are mind-blowing, industry observers who have been watching the explosive rise of sports media rights say it is merely a sign of things to come.

    In a global study titled outlook for the sports market, PWC stated: “Media rights are projected to continue growing at the highest rate among the four segments; a compound annual rate of 9.1 percent, from an estimated $12.5 billion in 2013 to a projected $19.3 billion in 2018.”

    In 2014 ONE Championship sold-out events in a number of countries as well as the UAE like: Taiwan, China, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines. They are looking to expand even further in 2015 as they are set to host 10 events in China alone. 

    ONE Championship CEO Victor Cui stated, “Asia is the fastest growing market for sports media rights and sponsorship in the world and ONE Championship is proud to be at the forefront of the exploding sports market.

    “It has been my commitment to work with the best, and only the best, in every aspect of our business and as we continue to reach up to a billion viewers around the world with live MMA content, we are confident on delivering an experience that will keep fans hooked.”

    ONE Championship’s next event in on April 24 in Manila, Philippines. The MMA showcase is titled Valor of Champions as the unbeaten Askren prepares to put his title on the line against Luis Santos. What a night in store for the a country that adores combat.  

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