Professional Fighters League partnered with Wurl to support their FAST distribution and growth goals

Goal

Seamless channel origination and smart scheduling

Professional Fighters League (PFL) launched their first FAST channel to reach new audiences and further capitalize on the growing demand for free streaming MMA content. While their programming was already popular, expanding distribution across the CTV ecosystem required navigating negotiations with new streaming platforms and ensuring full compatibility with each platform’s technical specifications and supported devices.

Beyond a distribution foothold, PFL also needed a smart programming strategy, and easy solutions for daily channel scheduling. They were looking for expert guidance to maximize the potential of their new FAST channel and drive higher viewership and engagement.

Given the global popularity and rocketship trajectory of MMA, it’s imperative that we’re providing fans a frictionless, free, way to engage with the PFL. We created our first FAST channel to help streamline the fan experience and bring the excitement of MMA to a wider audience while also increasing engagement among casual fans.

In entering the space, it was really important that we partner with an experienced team that could offer personalized support and help us deliver seamless, high-quality streams that keep viewers engaged from across the world.

Mike Chioditti

SVP Business
Professional Fighters League

Solution

Global FAST Pass solutions ensured seamless channel playout and optimized channel scheduling

To launch their first FAST channel, PFL partnered with Wurl, a trusted industry leader, to tap into a global network of streamers, secure a foothold in negotiations, and access the technical capabilities to expand their content distribution across multiple platforms.

Wurl’s Global FAST Pass product provided PFL with a comprehensive solution for creating, managing, and optimizing their channel through a cloud-based scheduler and reporting platform. PFL also opted for additional advanced features, including Wurl’s Scheduling Service which connected them to Wurl’s Programming Strategy team, to streamline operations, optimize daily lineups, and transform data insights into an effective viewership strategy for revenue growth.

Results

PFL’s optimized scheduling and broad distribution led to significant gains in both viewership and profitability

Over the course of PFL’s two-year relationship with Wurl, the league successfully expanded their global presence, strategically increasing distribution through over 30+ streaming endpoints and reaching an ever-larger audience. This growth not only drove a significant increase in viewership but also improved the league’s overall profitability.

Using Wurl’s Scheduling Service, PFL partnered with Wurl experts to refine their programming strategy, utilizing streamer-specific data insights to serve fans compelling content across global territories. While integrating fast-turnaround highlights into their daily lineups, Wurl’s Programming Strategy team also fine-tuned their ad load, ensuring a great viewing experience for audiences. These targeted enhancements led to a remarkable 600% increase in quarterly hours of viewing (HOV) over the last 2 years, outpacing distribution growth, and driving both increased audience engagement and ad revenue.²

Wurl’s Programming Strategy team have really helped us understand how our content resonates with our audience, and their strategic and operational guidance helped us easily create and optimize our flagship FAST channel. The team meets with us regularly to dive into our data analytics, share detailed insights, and provide actionable recommendations to increase both viewership and profitability.

Mike Chioditti

SVP Business
Professional Fighters League

Footnotes:
1. Wurl: January 15, 2025
2. Wurl: Q1-2023 to Q4-2024, quarterly total HOV and channel endpoint count for DTC streaming data
3. Wurl: December 2023 to December 2024, 28-day Unique Monthly Viewers for Wurl’s DTC streaming data

Professional Fighters League (PFL) is a mixed martial arts organization distinguished by its unique sports-season format, where fighters compete in a structured regular season, playoffs, and championship, rather than the traditional year-round model. Committed to delivering engaging MMA content and prioritizing fan accessibility, the PFL reaches audiences in 150 countries through partnerships with 20 premium media distribution platforms.

Are you ready to capitalize on the shift to streaming?

Wurl’s Global FAST Pass streamlines the creation, distribution and monetization of FAST channels, enabling publishers to reach new audiences and maximize revenue.

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