Partnership Builds on PFL’s Commitment to Supporting our Military and Veterans Under Its “Fight For Community” Platform
PFL to Again Offer Ticket Discounts to Military Members and Veterans for PFL 2019 Season Events
Air Force Reserve Will Be Featured at 2019 PFL Events Beginning Thursday Night, May 9 on ESPN2, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+
The Professional Fighters League (PFL), the first organization ever to present MMA through a Regular Season, Playoffs and Championship format, today announced a fully integrated partnership with the Air Force Reserve. The partnership is an extension of the league’s commitment to supporting military members and veterans through its “PFL Fights For Community” initiative.
“We are proud to welcome the Air Force Reserve to the PFL family. We are deeply dedicated to supporting our military and veterans, and we look forward to strengthening our relationship with the Air Force Reserve by providing them with the ability to reach millions of MMA fans here in the U.S.,” said Peter Murray, CEO of the PFL. “Together we will raise awareness of the incredible work our service men and women are doing through activations at our events, on our digital and social platforms and in our broadcasts. Additionally, our fighters will play an active role in engaging with these heroes in our communities and on bases around the country.”
As part of the partnership, Air Force Reserve will receive logo placements in and around the cage, in-venue commercials and on-air advertising units that will be broadcasted on ESPN2, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+ - the leading multi-sport streaming service - in the United States. Air Force Reserve and the PFL will also collaborate on exclusive content across digital platforms.
The PFL will continue to provide discounted tickets to military members and veterans at each event, a practice that began during its inaugural 2018 season.
“The PFL’s commitment to supporting military personnel and its growing influence in MMA, a sport with a strong, passionate, young and ever-growing MMA fan base, makes this an ideal partnership,” said CMSgt Michael Johnson of the Air Force Reserve. “Its relationship with ESPN provides an incredible platform for us to communicate our mission and the benefits of serving to an engaged national audience. We’re thrilled to get started and be a part of the 2019 season.”
About Professional Fighters League
The Professional Fighters League (PFL) presents MMA for the first time in the sport-season format where individual fighters control their own destiny, competing in a regular season, playoffs, and championship. PFL’s differentiated format and exciting fights sparked breakout growth for the league. PFL 2019 and 2020 Seasons are Thursday nights primetime live on ESPN2 and ESPN+.
PFL Season features elite MMA athletes across six weight classes, including the first-ever 155-pound women’s division, with each fighting twice during the PFL Regular Season in May, June, July, and August. The top eight fighters in each weight class advance to the single-elimination PFL Playoffs in October, where fighters must fight twice and win twice in the same night to advance to the finals. PFL Championship is New Year’s Eve with the winners of each title bout being crowned PFL World Champion of their respective weight class and earning $1 million. Viewers will be delivered next-gen stats never before seen in MMA through the PFL’s proprietary SmartCage™ platform and Cagenomics™ technology.
PFL is backed by an investor group of sports, media, entertainment, and business titans. For more info visit www.PFLmma.com and follow PFL on Instagram (@PFLmma), Twitter (@ProFightLeague), and Facebook (/ProFightLeague).
About Air Force Reserve
Since President Harry S. Truman called for the formation of the Air Force Reserve in 1948, it has been a critical part of the nation's defense. Its mission is to provide combat ready forces to Fly, Fight and Win.
Operating in various locations around the world, the Air Force Reserve has evolved from a "stand by" force for emergencies into a Major Command (MAJCOM) of the Active Duty Air Force.
The Air Force Reserve currently performs about 20 percent of the work of the Air Force, including traditional flying missions and other more specialized missions, such as Weather Reconnaissance (Hurricane Hunters), Modular Aerial Fire Fighting (MAFFs) and Personnel Recovery (Pararescuemen).
With 70,000 Citizen Airmen serving in the Air Force Reserve at home and abroad the Air Force Reserve is a vital component of our Nations defense. Offering great benefits including College Tuition Assistance and Job Skill Training individuals can serve where they live and be a part of something bigger than themselves. More information is available at AFReserve.com
