MIAMI — In 2018, Univision Communications teamed up with Combate Global to give Spanish-language television audiences craving Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) programming with a Latin flair a home.
The partnership turned out to be so beneficial that Univision is taking a major stake in the MMA franchise.
Univision has acquired “a significant equity stake” in Combate Global.
The agreement goes into effect immediately.
The transaction formally aligns Combate Global’s assets with Univision’s promotional and production capabilities, positioning the fight organization for international expansion.
The announcement comes following the signing of a five-year media rights deal that features 30 live television events airing annually – a total of 150 Combate events.
Many will be staged at Univision studios in Doral, Fla.
“Since teaming up in 2018 Univision and Combate Global have created an entirely new audience for MMA,” said Combate Global CEO Campbell McLaren. “Today, those content hungry fans, combined with our dynamic athletes, represent the future of the sport. This announcement underscores Univision’s commitment to Hispanic MMA and we could not be more excited to further strengthen our successful partnership with them.”
Juan Carlos Rodriguez, president of Sports Enterprises at Univision, added, “This investment marks the first step in Univision’s broader strategy to deliver more exciting, live combat sports to our audience. Combat sports rank as the second most popular sport among Hispanics. We’re excited to take our successful partnership to the next level as we collaborate with the Combate team to elevate the brand and bring compelling mixed martial arts content across the Univision platforms for years to come.”
Combate Global is formerly known as Combate Americas.
— Adam R Jacobson
