PFL Took Jump Into World Of Pay-Per-View In 2022

It takes a lot to decide to charge fight fans for your product. And the PFL took that plunge in 2022.

The promotion aired its first-ever pay-per-view, culminating the 2022 regular season live from New York City. The event aired on ESPN+ pay-per-view and cost just a shade under $50.

In a recent interview with MMAjunkie, PFL executive Ray Sefo deemed the decision a success.

“Everybody was happy with it,” Sefo said while attending the World MMA Awards in Las Vegas. “You’ve got to start somewhere, and we were happy with the outcome of the whole show. ESPN was truly happy with the show, so if they’re happy, we’re happy.”

The card featured a shocking upset, as Kayla Harrison suffered her first career loss to Larissa Pacheco. Harrison, an Olympic gold medalist, had won the previous two meetings between the two fighters.

However, that was far from the only key bout that night. Champions were crowned in five other weight divisions, and Blaggio Ali Walsh – the grandson of Muhammad Ali – made his promotion debut as well.

“It’s probably the best season so far,” Sefo said. “Just from the beginning to the end and the finals, everybody showed up, everybody did what they needed to do. The whole experience was truly amazing. Before the first fight we were half full. By the end of that first fight, it was completely full. Overall, I couldn’t be more happy. It was truly an amazing night.”

Where the PFL goes in 2023 is unknown at this point, but you have to give the promotion credit for attempting to hit a new path. They are already pushing forward with a new season of the PFL Challenger Series, and continue to add high-quality fighters to a stacked roster every day.