NEW YORK—FuboTV Inc. has announced that it has a minority investment in Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC). Fubo Co-founder and CEO David Gandler will also join BKFC’s board of directors.
The strategic investment expands the companies’ current partnership, which includes live distribution rights on Fubo Sports, Fubo’s FAST (free ad-supported streaming TV) linear network, and Pay-Per-View (PPV).
BKFC’s live combat fights are consistently among the top 10 most watched programming on Fubo Sports while BKFC 48 on August 11, 2023, headlined by social media star Bryce Hall vs. Gee Perez, was the most watched combat sports event in the channel’s four year history, the companies said.
Through the expanded partnership, Fubo will stream select BKFC’s live events, including BKFC 57 on February 2, 2024, live from the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, FL. The headline event features a welterweight clash between BKFC #1 Pound-for-Pound Fighter Luis 'Baboon' Palomino and former boxing World Champion Austin 'No Doubt' Trout.
Fubo will also stream upcoming BKFC original programming including BKFC Prospect Series, and the companies will co-develop a reality series, BKFC: What’s Your Why?, aimed at creating an emotional connection between fighters and fans.
“Fubo is committed to bringing consumers an aggregated content experience that includes the widest choice of live sports programming,” said Gandler. “The singularity of bare knuckle fighting has already made BKFC an important strategic partner for our Fubo Sports linear channel. BKFC was our best performing MMA property in 2023, and we have been very impressed with its continued viewership and engagement growth on Fubo Sports. With this investment, Fubo is committed to the future of BKFC and working with David Feldman and his team to scale the sport.”
“The investment by Fubo is not only a milestone for BKFC because it signifies and validates our continuing growth and evolution, but also will increase viewership and distribution exponentially through Fubo’s extended reach,” said David Feldman, president and founder, BKFC.
