The new global mixed martial arts league led by CEO Scott Coker, the former Bellator boss and Strikeforce founder, has added Steve Bornstein, the former CEO of ESPN and the NFL Network, to its advisory board as the promotion continues to build toward its 2027 debut. Bornstein will “advise the promotion across key areas of growth, including media strategy, distribution, technology, fan engagement and commercial development,” the league said on Wednesday.
The advisory group helping shape the league’s global launch also includes Wade Davis, former CEO of TelevisaUnivision and former CFO of Viacom, Steve Kaplan, co-founder of Oaktree Capital and owner of D.C. United, Steve Mosko, former chairman of Sony Pictures Television, and Swimmy Minami, founder of Visional and a limited partner of the New York Yankees.
“Steve Bornstein is one of the great builders in the history of sports media,” said Coker. “Throughout his tenure as CEO of ESPN and later the NFL Network, Steve set the bar for excellence in sports television and was instrumental in bringing the culture of global sport into the world’s living rooms. Steve has consistently been ahead of where sports, media and fans are going. His experience connecting fans to premium live sports is invaluable as we continue to build.”
At the NFL Network and as executive vp of media for the National Football League, he helped launch and expand the NFL Network, NFL.com, the NFL App and NFL RedZone.
Bornstein currently serves as president, North America at Genius Sports. He is also a co-founder of The V Foundation for Cancer Research and serves on its board of directors.
“Scott Coker has spent his career building real trust with athletes, fans and partners around the world,” said Bornstein. “The opportunity to advise his new global MMA league at this stage is incredibly exciting. MMA is a global sport with enormous potential, and this group is approaching it with the right combination of ambition, respect for art and the athletes and a long-term vision.”