Lenny Daniels joins the Professional Fighters League as COO
Lenny Daniels, the former head of Warner Bros. sports operations. Discovery, has joined the Professional Fighters League as Chief Operating Officer as the mixed-martial-arts league works to compete more intensely against the UFC.
Daniels will oversee all day-to-day operations of the league, including global operations, brand and content strategy and commercial expansion. He will also play a central leadership role in the PFL’s upcoming media rights negotiations in the US.
Daniels will report to John Martin, CEO of PFL and former head of Warner’s cable network division.
“Lenny Daniels is one of the most talented executives in sports media, with decades of experience
shaping and growing top sports organizations,” Martin said in a statement. “He has managed several
the largest sports venues in the world and understands how to deliver premium sports content live
experiences and digital engagement at scale. Lenny will be a groundbreaking leader for the PFL
as we enter our next phase of growth.”
Fans, advertisers and distributors all want to do more with mixed martial arts, and PFL has been working to brand itself as an option for those who are value-conscious about the costs associated with UFC. That league, backed by TKO, recently signed a massive seven-year contract with Paramount Skydance, worth $7.7 billion over its term. Organizers may feel pressured to support these fees with premium sponsorship deals.
“The opportunity to help build the next great global martial arts brand, powered by storytelling,
Athlete-first technology and innovation are rare,” Daniels said in a statement. “I am committed to delivering operational excellence at every level of the League. We’re just getting started.”
Daniels spent nearly three decades at the Warner division once known as Turner Sports, where he was instrumental in developing programs such as “Inside the NBA” and “NBA on TNT,” as well as alliances with leagues such as Major League Baseball, the NCAA and the NBA. Under his auspices, Turner developed the digital sports retailer Bleacher Report and played a strong role in guiding the NBA’s digital strategy. He left the company in 2022.
Daniels and his wife are based in Atlanta with their two sons.
