BRAVE CF expands European reach in landmark broadcasting deal with Arena Channels Group

TDT | Manama                                                      

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

BRAVE Combat Federation, the most global MMA organization in the world, born in the Kingdom of Bahrain, and Arena Channels Group, a division of Telekom Serbia, the largest telecom company in the Balkans, have announced a broadcasting deal which will see all live BRAVE CF events available in the region through the company’s sporting channels.

BRAVE CF, founded under the vision of His Highness Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa, holds the largest market share in Europe, with a record-setting 22 events in 13 countries hosted thus far in the last six years. The company has announced an European Tour to take place in 2024, with events in Slovenia, France, Germany, as well as debut shows in Croatia and the Netherlands.

BRAVE CF has been instrumental in the development of mixed martial arts in Serbia as well, hosting the first-ever European BRAVE International Combat Week in Belgrade.

The biggest combat sports festival on the planet broke all attendance records, with over 20,000 fans selling out the Stark Arena, and helped create a new MMA ecosystem for the sport in the country, with the support of Arena Sport, the official media partner of the event.

When commenting on the deal, BRAVE CF president Mohammed Shahid spoke of last year’s triumphal moment for the sport in Europe and spoke on how the broadcasting deal will be key in continuing to advance the sport in Europe.

‘’ First, I’d like to thank the General Director of Arena Channels Group Nebojša Žugić and the president of Serbian National Federation, Luka Nikolic. Last year, we put on our biggest show in Belgrade, with the support of the Serbian federation, and of course, Arena Sport.

This event has elevated MMA in the Balkans and in Europe to never-before-seen levels.

As the most global MMA organization in the world, BRAVE Combat Federation has a mission to bring in a new era for the sport in Europe, and this deal with Arena Sport is key in achieving this goal.

This partnership is part of our strategies to implement our vision for the development of MMA in Europe, and Serbia will play a major role in making this vision successful.

Serbia has a special place in BRAVE CF history, and I’m delighted to be able to announce this deal on the Serbian National day’’, said Mohammed Shahid.

"It's a great accomplishment that they've recognized our country and region as a destination for investing in sports promotion and infrastructure. We look forward to Arena Channels Group becoming their media partner. All of this will contribute to achieving one of our top priorities – the popularization of martial arts in the region and the ongoing effort to invest in motivating young people to engage in sports, as it is crucial for the development of a healthy nation," said Nebojša Žugić, the General Director of Arena Channels Group.

Žugić particularly emphasized that this collaboration is possible due to the excellent relations between the Republic of Serbia and the Kingdom of Bahrain.

"President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, with his exceptional foreign policy engagement, has established excellent relations between the two countries, thereby enabling us to establish this exceptionally important strategic partnership," concluded Mr. Žugić.

BRAVE Combat Federation Chief Operations Officer Valeria Lang hailed the work done by Arena Sport on the development of combat sports in Serbia and said she was looking forward to the impact the partnership with BRAVE CF will have on martial arts in Serbia and in Europe.

‘’Arena Sport has played a major role in elevating all combat sports on a national level in Serbia and bringing world-class sporting content to the Balkan region. With BRAVE CF’s vision of globalization and developing mixed martial arts in Europe, this is a partnership made in heaven. Together, we’ll be able to achieve so much more for martial arts in Serbia and in the Balkan region’’.