ONE Championship made history this year by hosting its first-ever event in the United States, and it appears they are not finished breaking new ground in 2023. ONE Fight Night 10 on Prime Video marked the Asia-based promotion’s arrival in North America in May, and it was welcomed with open arms by a raucous sold-out crowd inside Denver, Colorado’s 1stBank Center.
In a recent interview with CNBC, ONE Group President Hua Fung Teh outlined how the historic card proved that ONE is a force to be reckoned with in its new region – and beyond.
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ONE group president Hua Fung Teh was delighted by ONE Fight Night 10’s success
“We had our first event in Denver, Colorado, a month before [Colorado-based team] the Nuggets won the NBA championship, so it was great timing. It was a sold-out event and broke all records in the U.S. on our streaming platform, Amazon Prime Video,” he said.
“I think that event really showed us that we not only have a right to play, but a clear right to win in the U.S. We are going to be having more events in the U.S. next year, and we’re also looking to expand the partnership with Amazon.”
Asia’s biggest sports property doesn’t intend to stop its expansion with shows in North America, though. Teh went on to share that ONE has added a new MOU to its existing partnership with Qatar, which could lead to blockbuster events being held in another new market. “We signed an MOU with Qatar Media City to bring our live events to Qatar. We have a three-year relationship now with Qatar,” he said.
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“Qatar Investment Authority led our last investment round 18 months ago, and since then, we have gotten more and more deeply networked in the Qatari ecosystem. We have signed with BeIN SPORTS in the Middle East, as well as Qatar Media City, to do a reality program in Doha”.
Hua Fung Teh revealed ONE was all set for its first event in the Middle East
“We’ve worked with Qatar on our version of The Apprentice, but now we will be bringing our crown jewel in the live event to Doha, and it could happen as soon as this year.”
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With this exciting announcement, tongues have already started to wag amongst fans about which ONE superstars they would like to see competing at the organization’s first event in the Middle East.