Professional Fighters League Appoints Lenny Daniels as Chief Operating Officer

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Professional Fighters League (PFL) is proud to announce that Lenny Daniels has been named the organization’s new Chief Operating Officer. One of the most accomplished executives in sports media, Daniels brings decades of leadership experience across premier sports properties, culturally defining franchises, and industry-leading digital platforms.

As COO, Daniels will oversee all day-to-day operations across the PFL, leading the League’s global business operations, brand and content strategy, and commercial expansion. He will also play a central leadership role in the PFL’s upcoming U.S. media rights negotiations. In this role, Daniels will report directly to PFL CEO John Martin to ensure tight alignment on the League’s strategic and operational priorities.

“Lenny Daniels is among the most accomplished executives in sports media, having spent decades shaping and growing elite sports organizations,” said PFL CEO John Martin. “He has managed some of the biggest sports properties on the planet and understands how to deliver premium sports content, live experiences, and digital engagement at massive scale. Lenny will be a game-changing leader for the PFL as we enter our next stage of growth.”

“PFL is one of the most exciting and future-forward sports properties in the world,” said Lenny Daniels. “The opportunity to help build the next great global combat sports brand, powered by storytelling, technology, and athlete-first innovation, is rare. I am committed to delivering operational excellence across every level of the League. We’re just getting started.”

Daniels joins the PFL after serving as President of Warner Bros. Discovery Sports U.S. (formerly Turner Sports), where he led one of the most influential and culturally impactful sports media portfolios in the industry. His leadership helped shape hallmark properties including Inside the NBA, NBA on TNT, NCAA, March Madness, NHL on TNT, MLB on TBS, and the division’s extensive array of digital platforms and league partnerships.

He was also instrumental in the evolution of Bleacher Report and House of Highlights into two of the most powerful digital sports destinations in the world. In collaboration with the NBA, he oversaw the entire NBA Digital ecosystem, including NBA League Pass, the NBA App, and NBA TV, and helped define how the modern fan consumes basketball worldwide.

Widely recognized as a leading storyteller, brand builder, and innovator, Daniels has spent his career developing sports franchises that shape culture, strengthen fan identity, and drive digital scale. His operational expertise spans major rights negotiations, production, programming, marketing, and talent across some of the most-watched events in sports.

Earlier in his career, Daniels held leadership, creative, and production roles at Turner Sports, ESPN, and NBC Sports, contributing to multiple Olympic Games, the NBA, the NFL, and large-scale live sports productions. Daniels and his wife are based in Atlanta with their two sons.

ABOUT PROFESSIONAL FIGHTERS LEAGUE

Professional Fighters League (PFL) is a global powerhouse in MMA, and is the fastest-growing sports league worldwide. PFL hosts premium MMA events across the U.S., Europe, MENA, and Africa, with planned expansion in Asia, Australia, and Latin America. PFL fighter roster is world-class with 30% top-25 world-ranked in their weight class by independent third-parties. PFL is broadcast and streamed live to 170 countries with 26 leading media partners. PFL is backed by major blue-chip investors including SURJ, Ares, 885 Capital, Knighthead, Luxor Capital, Waverley Capital, Elysian Park Ventures, and numerous NBA, MLB, NHL, and MLS team owners. MMA is the growth and global sport business of this decade, with 700 million fans worldwide, the youngest audience demographic, and true global revenue streams.

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