Bollywood actors Raj Kundra and Sanjay Dutt recently announced the launch of India’s first major MMA promotion, Super Fight League, and now they have announced a three-year YouTube streaming deal to bring the promotion’s shows to viewers around the world.
The promotion announced today that it now has its own channel on the popular video-sharing site – www.youtube.com/SFL – and that “fans from Mumbai to Melbourne will be able to join the action from all the fight night events of SFL”.
Under the terms of the tie-up, Google will have exclusive online & mobile rights for SFL content for three years and both Google and SFL will jointly share revenues from sponsorships and advertising on www.youtube.com/SFL.
Raj Kundra, Founder Chairman, Super Fight League said, “This unique initiative by SFL to partner with YouTube will give the league a global reach on a single platform. This will allow MMA fans anywhere in the world to view the action on-demand as per their convenience, thus making the SFL channel on YouTube the biggest virtual MMA arena in the world.
“This strategic tie up will give SFL the opportunity to give MMA fans worldwide the best fight night events with some of the industry’s best MMA Fighters.”
Sanjay Dutt, Co Founder, Super Fight League said, “Martial Arts was invented in Asia and MMA in the West, now with our partnership with YouTube we will show the world some of the best MMA fighters of India.
“With this initiative, fans will be able to have interactions with fighters, my celebrity friends and me on our YouTube channel. SFL & YouTube will provide a comprehensive site to catch up on all the action any time of the day. So get ready for some serious action with SFL – going live from March 11th.”
SFL has retained the services of Ken Pavia as its CEO. Pavia is an agent based in the US who at one time had more UFC fighters and champions on his books than the next two managers combined. But a big fallout with the UFC led to ongoing litigation and he has since sold his agency on.
The UFC has expressed an interest in the Indian market, which may have been a factor in Dutt and Kundra combining efforts to get their show off the ground first. India is the world’s second-most populous country, with 1.2 billion inhabitants, and its burgeoning economy means that the nation’s middle class and disposable income are both growing apace.
However there is no MMA industry or scene in India at all presently, and it will be the fame (to Indians) of Dutt and Kundra that brings attention to the project, at least initially. That explains why the first event will be headlined by James Thompson and Bob Sapp – the show is looking for a big, cartoonish novelty match to get attention and get people talking. To start off with it will be leaning towards mimicking Pride FC rather than the UFC in its approach.
February 13th 2012
fighters only magazine