Baseball celebrity Alex Rodriguez has contributed to a 30-million funding round of the Professional Fighters League (PFL). On Thursday, the company that promotes mixed martial arts announced his investment along with that of Waverley Capital, a media investment firm, led by Edgar Bronfman Jr. Although the terms of investment have not been disclosed, this investment has to be substantial as the former New York Yankees star will have a seat on the company’s board.
Last month, Alex Rodriguez invested in NBA’s Minnesota Timberwolves. He became a co-owner of the team along with Marc Lore, a former e-commerce executive at Walmart. Both of them reportedly paid $1.5 billion to purchase the franchise. They also have a stake in WNBA’s Minnesota Lynx.
The 46-year old baseball shortstop has also invested in Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) branded gyms, which is the fitness arm of the the UFC. According to Spotrac Rodriguez earned over $450 million before he retired, in 2016. The website that tracks sports contracts estimated his earnings in his 22-season career with the MLB. After retirement from baseball, Alex Rodriguez worked on several media platforms including baseball analyst at Disney’s ESPN and more.
In a statement Rodriguez said, “I love the global reach of MMA. The PFL continues to build and innovate for fans, media and fighters, and there is massive demand in the market place.”
In an interview with CNBC, PFL founder and chairman Donn Davis said that Rodriguez and PFL had a “mutual attraction.” He also said that the company is planning to expand and form leagues in Europe and Mexico.
PFL is a single entity controlled by private investors such as Mark Lerner, who is the owner of Washington Nationals and Ray Lewis, a former NFL star. Investment firms such as Ares Capital and Elysian Park Ventures have also invested in the entity.
The league conducts regular season and post season competitions. The matches are broadcast by ESPN, owned by Disney and are sponsored by several companies including DraftKings.
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