PROFESSIONAL FIGHTERS LEAGUE ANNOUNCES MULTI-YEAR
GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP WITH CYBER PROTECTION LEADER ACRONIS
PFL adds more power to the punch with industry leading Cyber Protection Partner
Acronis, Validating Itself as an Industry Leader in Technology & Innovation
NEW YORK (July 15, 2020) – The Professional Fighters League (PFL), the first organization ever to present MMA through Regular Seasons, Playoffs, and Championship formats, today announced a long-term marketing and technology partnership with Acronis, a global leader in cyber protection. PFL continues to grow its portfolio of leading brand partners which includes ESPN, Anheuser-Busch InBev, GEICO, Air Force Reserve, SeatGeek, Rich Energy and now Acronis.
The multi-year partnership focuses on cyber protection for the league’s data, applications and systems. Additionally, Acronis will provide PFL with media archive tools to manage increased content produced by PFL Studios, a newly formed division with an emphasis on MMA, PFL and individual fighter stories for television, as well as digital and mobile platforms. Acronis will also equip PFL with brand analytical tools utilizing AI and Machine Learning capabilities, helping the league measure the value of brand integration for sponsors.
Acronis solutions are designed based on the five vectors of cyber protection: Safety, Accessibility, Privacy, Authenticity, and Security (SAPAS). This ensures that these solutions not only provide the highest level of security to users, but also guarantees minimal disruptions to daily operations, and that a business'/individual's data is authentic and tamper-free.
One such solution which the PFL will be utilizing includes Acronis Cyber Protect, which comes with fast and reliable backup and recovery and AI-powered anti-malware, manageable from a single, comprehensive console.
“We are excited to partner with Acronis and equip the PFL with cyber protection solutions and services that will enhance our media business operations,” said Peter Murray, CEO of the Professional Fighters League. “We place a premium on the use of data to tell compelling stories, elevate our fan-viewing experience, and continue to lead innovation within MMA.”
Acronis has a wealth of sports industry experience, with partnerships that include Liverpool FC (EPL), Williams Racing, and the Boston Red Sox. By partnering with the PFL, Acronis will grow its US and international reach, and gain access to a suite of digital and broadcast marketing assets focused on Cagenomics, PFL’s real-time fighter data. Additionally, PFL and Acronis will collaborate on an annual PFL Technology Summit, which will be designed to foster conversations and share best practices amongst business and industry leaders in sports.
“We are thrilled to partner with the PFL and provide them with the world’s most secure cyber protection solutions,” said Jan-Jaap Jager, Senior Vice President of Acronis. “We believe in the league’s vision for re-imagining and growing the sport of MMA, and Acronis’ technology is perfectly suited to keep PFL #CyberFit. Data is at the forefront of modern sports, and organizations that place a premium on protecting that data are gaining an advantage over their competition.”
The Professional Fighters League recently rescheduled its third season to Spring 2021 on ESPN, while committing to providing a monthly cash stipend to its contracted fighters to help provide relief through the calendar year. PFL will deliver new original programming across ESPN, PFL platforms and international distributors in 2020 through PFL Studios and continue to expand its technology in advance of its next season.
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 broadcast live in primetime on ESPN2 and ESPN+ in the United States and also distributed to 160 additional countries around the world on premium sports networks.
About Acronis
Acronis unifies data protection and cybersecurity to deliver integrated, automated cyber protection that solves the safety, accessibility, privacy, authenticity, and security (SAPAS) challenges of the modern digital world. With flexible deployment models that fit the demands of service providers and IT professionals, Acronis provides superior cyber protection for data, applications, and systems with innovative next-generation antivirus, backup, disaster recovery, and endpoint protection management solutions. With award-winning AI-based antimalware and blockchain-based data authentication technologies, Acronis protects any environment – from cloud to hybrid to on-premises – at a low and predictable cost.
Founded in Singapore in 2003 and incorporated in Switzerland in 2008, Acronis now has more than 1,500 employees in 33 locations in 18 countries. Its solutions are trusted by more than 5.5 million home users and 500,000 companies, including 100% of the Fortune 1000, and top-tier professional sports teams. Acronis products are available through 50,000 partners and service providers in over 150 countries in more than 40 languages.
