Yahoo Sports Launches Uncrowned, Its Combat Sports Franchise

Yahoo Sports unveiled its new combat sports franchise, called Uncrowned, last week, part of a broader effort from the privately owned media firm to expand its presence in growing sectors of the sports ecosystem.

The franchise includes five distinct offerings—The Ariel Helwani Show, The Boys in the Back, The Craic with Petesy Carroll, Ariel + Ade, and a forthcoming wrestling show—whose common denominator is the journalist and media personality Ariel Helwani.

The five series will span channels and touchpoints, including a new hub on the Yahoo Sports website and app, as well as on YouTube, social media, and podcast platforms. 

To lure Helwani, who joined the company in August following stints with Vox Media and Spotify, Yahoo created roughly 20 full-time positions and built a new podcasting studio on the ninth floor of its Manhattan office. Yahoo Sports declined to share the commercial specifics of the deal.

“From the first time I spoke with the team, I loved their vision,” Helwani said. “I love the idea of being a part of this renaissance, of the rejuvenation of this incredible brand.” 

The new franchise is the latest in a series of partnerships and expansions from Yahoo Sports. In recent months, the publisher has signed deals with OneFootball for soccer and The Athletic for women’s sports in a bid to make itself more indispensable in the sports media landscape.

The tie-up is the latest reflection of the mounting value of live sports in a moment of immense fragmentation. 

While neither Yahoo Sports nor Uncrowned will air the matches themselves, the volume of attention the sports generate is so large that even downstream media properties can live comfortably on the engagement. 

Combat sports are also positioned for growth, making investment in them a potential bargain. In January, the wrestling league WWE will move to Netflix, bringing the sport to its massive audience. Boxing and MMA, meanwhile, have grown in popularity with younger audiences thanks to their highly consumable formats and the influence of personalities like Logan Paul. 

Inside Uncrowned

Uncrowned will encompass four products at launch, with a fifth to join in the coming months.

The first, The Ariel Helwani Show, airs Monday through Wednesday for three hours. In it, Helwani interviews guests, previews upcoming matches, and discusses relevant developments in the industry.

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