MUMBAI: Home grown MMA league – Kumite 1 League – “mentored” by heavyweight boxing great Mike Tyson – has not only secured agreements for live television broadcast in South Asia with Sony ESPN, but also for live screening across nine cities with leading Indian multiplex chain PVR.
While the bouts will be broadcast on Sony ESPN and Sony ESPN HD in in India, the network will also broadcast Kumite 1 League in Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Afghanistan, Bhutan and Maldives.
Sony ESPN and Sony ESPN HD will run a live telecast of the fight night, which will be held in NSCI Dome, Mumbai on September 29. Tyson will fly into the country ahead of time to meet and encourage the fighters. On the fight night, he will officially launch Kumite 1 League and kick-start the fight night. 24 celebrated MMA fighters will take part in the League.
Commenting on the broadcast deal, Mohammedali Budhwani, Promoter, Kumite 1 League & CMD, Toyam Industries Ltd, said: “It gives us immense pleasure to be telecast live on Sony ESPN. As broadcast partners, they have shown immense support and have an inherent understanding of MMA. I am confident with Mike Tyson as our mentor and Sony ESPN as our broadcast partners, we will take giant strides in popularising MMA and making the sport one to reckon with as we cut across nations and languages.”
Alongside Sony ESPN, Kumite 1 League has struck various international deals to mark their entry into the global arena. Through OTT, IPTV, Satellite, Cable and Terrestrial platforms, Kumite 1 League’s launch and fight night will be available now in over 80 countries and 8,557,000 households.
Meanwhile, talking about the partnership with PVR Cinema, Budhwani stated: “I’m thrilled by the enthusiasm shown by PVR Cinema. The faith that they have put into Kumite 1 league is extremely motivating. Yes, we do have Mike Tyson as our mentor but the league is just at its inception. PVR cinema has yet again proved its forward-thinking mindset and I’m very sure that they will find a solid position in the history of MMA in India. I have personally taken it upon myself to make India a multiple sports nation, down the years. We have to understand that with a successful form of sport, an industry is created around it and that in turn opens up opportunities not just for the sports stars but also every person and brands associated with it.”
PVR CEO Gautam Dutta said, “We at PVR Cinema are committed to value-driven entertainment. While cinema has been our mainstay, we have always been open to associating with sports. Mike Tyson’s association with Kumite 1 league and an action-packed MMA fight night coming together under one roof could not be ignored. The entertainment industry rests on two pillars- sports and cinema and as a leading multiplex chain we would like to extend wholesome entertainment to our valued patrons.”
