Chris Knox of NeBusiness.co.uk writes of the Fighters Only success story and what looks to be a very promising 2010 for the MMA magazine founded in the UK.
Rob Hewitt turned his love of competitive fighting into a fully-fledged business in 2005, when he launched Fighters Only magazine in Newcastle with the aim of providing mixed martial arts fans in the UK with a dedicated resource.
He is now looking extend its readership to Australia and France next year after establishing the title in 13 different countries and is also hoping to set up an online TV channel to help the company increase its £1.5m turnover.
Over the years, the magazine has progressed from focusing mainly on the UK mixed martial arts scene to worldwide coverage of the sport, with contributors in the US, Canada, Europe, Brazil and Japan.
It has just established licence deals for the production of German and South African editions of the magazine. It was advised by Newcastle law firm Mincoffs.
The publication, which has 12 staff, is also about to host its first televised awards ceremony in Las Vegas, and recently signed an agreement with sportswear firm TapouT to produce a range of Fighters Only-branded clothing.
Mr Hewitt said: “Having been involved in MMA from its earliest days I knew that it had the potential to grow from being an underground sport to one of the biggest in the world and that there was a place in the global market for a brand like Fighters Only.
“With the guidance of my board of directors and the legal expertise of Mincoffs solicitors I have been able to implement plans and strategies to dominate the world of combat sports media and gain further business success from the growth in popularity of our brand.”
Payout Perspective:
The growth of Fighters Only is great not only for the company itself, but MMA as a whole because it’s another medium to spread the word about the sport. The fact that magazine covers every promotion also means that fans begin to realize that MMA is not exactly synonymous with the UFC.
Also, just a reminder that Fighters Only is hosting the first ever World Mixed Martial Arts Awards later this week in Las Vegas, Nevada.
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