Legend FC reaches TV deal with ESPN International

Hong Kong, 13 November 2012 (Tuesday) – Legend Fighting Championship and ESPN have announced a broadcast agreement to bring the Asia-Pacific Championship of Mixed Martial Arts to ESPN television and broadband channels in 109 countries in Australia and New Zealand, the Caribbean, Latin America, the Middle East and North Africa, sub-Saharan Africa and cruise ships in these territories. Under the terms of the agreement, ESPN will feature all future Legend tournaments through the end of 2014 – beginning with Legend 11 – as well as archive content of Legend 2 through Legend 10.

Legend Fighting Championship is the Asia-Pacific Championship of MMA, bringing together national champion fighters drawn exclusively from Asia-Pacific nations. Legend 11 will be headlined by a much-anticipated match-up between Mongolia’s Jadamba Narantungalag and Japan’s Koji Ando, for the Legend Lightweight Title (currently held by Narantungalag). Ando earned his title shot by beating Australia’s Rob Hill in the main event at Legend 9. More details about television schedules and future events will be released in the months ahead.

“Since our first tournament in January 2010, Legend has been bringing the best of Asia-Pacific MMA to a growing audience. This agreement will give our television and broadband streaming efforts huge new reach into multiple regions around the world, cementing our position as the most widely distributed Asian MMA content worldwide. We look forward to working closely with our partners at ESPN,” said Chris Pollak, Legend co-founder and managing director.

“We’re excited to bring Legend’s combination of a roster filled with elite Asia-Pacific fighters and high-quality production values to ESPN television and broadband channels in more than a hundred countries around the world,” said Michael Walters, vice president of programming, ESPN International.

CDF47 wrote:^I hear ya. I always wish AXS would pick up ONE FC, Legend, M-1, KSW, and DEEP. They have to sign DREAM back for sure.

It would be sweet to have an MMA super station which HDNet was becoming back in the day but not as much recently.

Sonatine wrote:

CDF47 wrote:^I hear ya. I always wish AXS would pick up ONE FC, Legend, M-1, KSW, and DEEP. They have to sign DREAM back for sure.

It would be sweet to have an MMA super station which HDNet was becoming back in the day but not as much recently.

For real, global MMA orgs need to be picked up by networks both in the US and Europe.

An MMA superstation would be amazing. A combat sports super station, on the other hand would be fantastic. (even if it is as likely to be when hell freezes over).