Industry Veteran Brings over 16 Years of Experience in Global Brand Partnerships and Business Development from Organizations such as the NBA and UFC
The Professional Fighters League(PFL), the first organization ever to present MMA through a Regular Season, Playoffs and Championship format, today introduced Rene Valencia as Vice President of Global Brand Partnership and Business Development. In his new role, Rene will expand the league’s footprint, with a focus on international sponsorship and joint ventures.
“I’m excited to welcome Rene Valencia to the PFL management team,” said Peter Murray, CEO of the PFL. “Rene is a proven leader in sports marketing and sponsorship sales having secured over $1 billion in brand partnerships with major properties. His passion for MMA combined with his expertise will lead to great things for the PFL and our partners.”
Valencia joins PFL from the UFC, where he served as VP, International Marketing Partnerships. During his time with the promotion, he was responsible for cross-functional revenue generation through sponsorships, marketing rights, digital, and media assets on a global level. He managed and oversaw all international agency relationships and was instrumental in the securing of key global partnerships in the categories of airline, tire, sports betting, and spirits. Prior to the UFC, Valencia held global business development and sponsorship roles at media rights agency MP & Silva and the NBA.
“The PFL is a world-class organization which has taken MMA by storm fueled by its innovative sports season format, elite athletes, and global distribution to over 150 countries,” said Valencia. “I’m eager to connect leading brands to the PFL’s highly-engaged fanbase and advance our vision as a leader in the fastest growing sport around the globe.”
About Professional Fighters League
The Professional Fighters League (PFL) presents MMA for the first time in the sport-season format where individual fighters control their own destiny, competing in a regular season, playoffs, and championship. ?PFL’s differentiated format and exciting fights sparked breakout growth for the league. ??PFL events are Thursday nights primetime live on ESPN2 and ESPN+.
The PFL 2019 Season features elite MMA athletes across six weight classes, including the first-ever 155-pound women’s division, with each fighter having two fights during the PFL Regular Season in May, June, July, and August. The top eight fighters in each weight class advance to the single-elimination PFL Playoffs in October, where fighters must fight twice and win twice in the same night to advance to the finals. PFL Championship is New Year’s Eve with the winners of each title bout being crowned PFL World Champion of their respective weight class and earning $1 million. Viewers will be delivered next-gen stats never before seen in MMA through the PFL’s proprietary SmartCage™ platform and Cagenomics™ technology.
PFL is backed by an investor group of sports, media, entertainment, and business titans. Watch PFL live Thursday nights in the U.S. on ESPN2, ESPN+, ESPN Deportes. PFL is also available in 130 countries around the world with leading local broadcasters.
For more info visit www.PFLmma.com and follow PFL on Instagram (@PFLmma), Twitter (@ProFightLeague), and Facebook (/ProFightLeague).
