KEY POINTS

  • ONE Championship wants to expand to the Western audience
  • Having former Turner president David Levy on board is a step in the right direction
  • Chatri Sityodtong believes that the promotion will have a live event in the U.S. in a few years

ONE Championship announced on Monday, July 12 that it had added David Levy to its board of directors.

Levy brings decades of experience in sports and media, and worked at Turner Broadcasting for over 30 years, including six years as president.

He managed over 6,000 staff and was responsible for bringing in over $9 billion in revenues.

“David is an industry pioneer who helped redefine how millions of people enjoy sports and entertainment programming,” said Chatri Sityodtong, ONE Championship's chairman and CEO.

“He is the perfect addition to our Board with his proven track record of working with the largest sports leagues in the world, putting together innovative rights packages that create value for broadcast partners, corporate sponsors, athletes, and fans, and deep understanding of how to deliver engaging content across digital platforms to capture a younger, on-the-move generation."

"We look forward to working with David as we accelerate our strategy to bring our popular martial arts and gaming content to the U.S. and other international markets.”

The announcement lines up with ONE Championship’s recent push into the U.S. market.

Last April, ONE Championship kicked off its strategic expansion into the U.S. with four “ONE on TNT” events airing on American primetime via TNT, B/R Live, and Bleacher Report.

Former Turner President David Levy
Former Turner President David Levy joins ONE Championship's Board of Directors. ONE Championship

Levy’s addition to the board will no doubt help ONE Championship further expand its footprint in the U.S.

“ONE has built a remarkable content platform around its martial arts and esports businesses that is captivating global audiences, especially younger, tech-savvy viewers and fans,” Levy stated.

“In just 10 years, the Company has achieved a level of worldwide popularity that took other sports franchises many decades to build, and I am honored to join the Board at this exciting time in its history. ONE has an incredibly talented and visionary Board and management team, and I believe my complementary experiences and relationships will enable us to capture the significant opportunities that lie ahead as the demand for live sports and creative programming reaches new heights across traditional and digital channels.”

Meanwhile, Sityodtong shared that the promotion will hold its first live event on American soil within the next few years.

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