ONE Championship Signs Major TV Deal With European Giant Sky Sports

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ONE Championship signed a major deal with European broadcasting giant Sky Sports this week, and in doing so, it further cemented plans to have its biggest year yet in 2024.

The partnership takes effect from Saturday, 13 January, when Sky will showcase ONE Fight Night 18: Superlek vs. Mahmoudi live from Bangkok, Thailand's famed Lumpinee Boxing Stadium, across its broadcast and digital platforms to viewers in the UK and Ireland.

ONE Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong has long been targeting the European fanbase, who have, up to now, only ever been able to follow the promotion online. He insists that's all going to change thanks to this deal, however.

"For years, our U.K. fans have been clamoring for ONE to be broadcast on one of the region's major networks. Today, I'm excited to announce a new partnership with Sky Sports, the premier broadcaster for live sports in the U.K. and one of the most well-known sports networks in the world," Sityodtong said.

"This deal marks an important milestone for the celebration of martial arts and the continued expansion of ONE Championship's global footprint."

Sky Sports broadcasts global sports products like Formula 1, golf, cricket, and Premier League football. The European giant has also been showcasing boxing for decades, but Sky Sports' Director of Multi Sports Helen Falkus believes the deal will introduce a whole new demographic to elite combat sports.

"We're pleased to partner with ONE Championship to bring their full range of martial arts to Sky Sports for the first time. We hope to bring new fans to the world-class competitive formats on our channels, as well as reach new audiences for Sky," Falkus said.

The major deal comes after ONE also put pen to paper with Middle Eastern giant BEIn Sports earlier this year ahead of their first trip to Doha, Qatar, on 1 March 2024, with ONE 165.