DAZN and WePlay Esports have agreed a partnership for the 2021 WePlay Ultimate Fighting League (WUFL).
DAZN will provide coverage of the tournament on its OTT platform, reaching over 22 countries and territories. DAZN is available to viewers on TV & streaming devices, computers, mobiles & tablets, and gaming consoles.
Held and broadcast from the WePlay Esports Arena Kyiv in Ukraine, the league’s first season will feature competitions in Mortal Kombat 11, SOULCALIBUR VI, and Tekken 7. It is organised by esports media holding company WePlay Esports and former undisputed world cruiserweight boxing champion and current heavyweight contender Oleksandr Usyk.
All three planned seasons of WUFL, which are all due to be held this year are covered by the deal. The first season runs from March 25 to April 11.
Maksym Bilonogov, general producer and chief visionary officer at WePlay Esports, said: “DAZN is a major player in the sports broadcasting market and a partner ready to support esports and to remove the boundaries between traditional and virtual sports. WePlay Esports’ goal is to shape a new reality where watching esports competitions will become as routine as watching a Netflix series or an important Champions League match in the evening.
“The partnership with DAZN will boost the popularity of fighting games across the world. It’s fantastic that during the first season of WUFL already we will be able to showcase both the creative potential of the studio (I can’t rule out a lot of hype broadcast live) and the advanced technological capabilities of the Kyiv arena to the max.”
Valentyn Shevchenko, business development lead at WePlay Esport, added: “Most viewers of traditional combat sports grew up watching movies and playing games in the Mortal Kombat or Tekken series. And if they can watch UFC fights and boxing matches, why won’t they watch esports fighting games as well? We’ll give them such an opportunity, and we expect a surge in the popularity of fighting games among the new audience.”
DAZN EVP, Joe Markowski, said of the deal: “As Esports continues to see exponential growth globally, DAZN is well-placed to host this exciting form of entertainment with a footprint in 200+ countries and territories around the world.”
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