The Professional Fighters League (PFL) entered the MMA scene with big dreams of challenging the UFC's iron grip on the sport. It inked a deal with ESPN years ago, even securing a multi-year extension in 2022. But now, after nearly eight years of partnership, the PFL's top boss is publicly calling out the Worldwide Leader in Sports for dropping the ball.
In a candid chat with Ariel Helwani, PFL CEO John Martin didn't hold back. He accused ESPN of doing next to nothing to promote the league in 2026, expressing deep frustration with the network's efforts.
“ESPN is not doing really anything to promote us. Disappointing, because I was really hopeful coming into the year that they would really help us. They’ve done virtually nothing,” Martin said.
Martin pointed to some positive viewership trends, noting that despite a 50% drop in lead-in audiences, the PFL's average viewership is actually up year-over-year. He highlighted that peak viewership for main events has jumped 37%, and co-main and main card numbers are up 33%. But he admitted the raw numbers are still too small, and the league needs to keep building.
“Our audience figures year-on-year is up even though our lead-in going into our fights is down 50%,” Martin said. “So we’re bucking a bad lead-in, and actually our average audience is up. And if you look at the top of the card … our peak viewership is up 37% so far year-on-year, three events, and for the co-main and the main, viewership is up 33%. Now, I would submit those percentages are huge, but the numbers are still too small. So we have to continue to build on that.”
MMA fans weren't exactly rushing to defend the PFL. Many argued that the league simply doesn't offer a product worth promoting. One user bluntly said, “PFL cant draw flies… why would espn waste resources promoting it?” Another added, “People aren’t paying espn+ subscriptions to watch PFL. The app sucks people only paid for UFC and even then, people still streamed PPVs. ESPN+ streams B and C league level sports.” A third chimed in, “Horrible look for PFL. If they were worth promoting ESPN would promote . They prob see all the numbers on the back end and think its not worth it.”
It's a tough reality for any league trying to break through. Networks like ESPN naturally give more attention to properties that deliver big ratings. The NFL, NBA, MLB, and college sports sit at the top. The NHL, UFC, and soccer occupy the middle tier. Everything else—including the PFL—gets whatever scraps are left. Until the PFL can prove it's a ratings draw, it's unlikely to get the promotional push Martin is demanding. This situation echoes the recent Valkyries cut Kate Martin drama, where a league's internal struggles become public fodder.
The PFL's frustration is understandable, but the math is simple: if you want ESPN's full support, you need to bring the eyeballs. And right now, the numbers just aren't there.
