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For Glory CEO Marshall Zelaznik, makers are not only ambassadors – they are the lifeline of the growth strategy of his company.
“The Kai Cenats of the world have this incredible machine that generates interest and viewers,” he says. “They are the new linear TV networks to grow a fan base.”
As the world’s most important kickboxing organization, Glory embraces this evolution head-on, borrow from the cultural playbook that explodes gaming, maker boxing and twitch style involvement, while anchoring in elite competition and high-quality production.
The result is a new format that combines with top sports with platform-first stories, always on content and the community-driven energy of the favorite maker events of the internet.
“We are the first group that brought our core products to these platforms,” says Zelaznik.
One of the largest pieces of Glory’s new push is a partnership with Besche, the sports media and gaming company co -founded by Jake Paul. Zelaznik’s background inspired the deal in Esports, where he once led business development and content at Blizzard.
“Gamers, streamers and makers are always looking for content that is really important for their fans,” he says. “Our pitch to engagement was fairly simple: we have fascinating things.”
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Makers’ experiences with their communities
His goal is to make it as easy as possible for makers to connect with experience and to share with their communities-what he calls “spoon” content.
“Although others may invite a maker to see what they do, we bring the whole thing directly to them,” he says. “We really embrace the maker community in a way that nobody else has.”
That idea manifests itself in Glory undergroundA new Creator-Forward Fight Series launched in Miami on 1 May. The first event was only invitations, in which champion of Welterweight Chico Kwasi defended his belt in a rematch against lightweight champion Tyjani “The Wonderboy” Beztati.
“It will feel very exclusive,” says Zelaznik. “As Fight Club meets the actual club.”
To be clear, you won’t see any makers who step into the ring in Paul Brothers -fashion. While Zelaznik is open to the use of the maker-economy to grow the sport, he is committed to maintaining the integrity of the core product with professional battles with professional athletes of world class.
“Between the clocks at the beginning and end of the fight this will be a real fight. There will be no shenanigans,” he says. “During the strike, the decision, or between rounds – certainly, we will have some entertainment – but everything in the ropes will be pure.”
That balance will be clear in the atmosphere and modern production of the event in the event, more designed for mobile viewers than the traditional TV audience.
It is a daring step for a company that wants its audience to grow to launch an exclusive series of events, especially in sport, where ticket sales are prevailing. That event free broadcasting is even more daring. There was a time when a company like Glory would be the chance to give media rights away to a network like ABC or ESPN – perhaps even paid for broadcasting time.
But Zelanzik gambles on a different model. He is all-in about democratized distribution. The primary platform of Glory will be YouTube, and makers are not only welcome, but are also encouraged to stream fights together and tactics are taken directly from the eSports Playbook.
“Instead of saying:” Here is the appointment, go and see it on ESPN “, we ensure that everyone can watch with a phone,” he says.
Although this strategy can help the public grow, it also leaves money on the table, because Zelaznik is well aware.
“We are not going to run around with our pockets that go over after this event,” he admits.
But given the time, he believes that the series will cultivate a dedicated Fandom, make a platform for hunters to increase their profile and ultimately generate income.
“We are now investing in the product,” says Zelaznik, “but over time sponsorship will grow and that will make up for it.”
Glory also benefits from a strong international basis, giving the company more flexibility to take financial risks.
“The success we have in France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Japan – the income that we generate from tickets, sponsorship, media rights – that gives us all the runway to make this type of investment,” says Zelaznik.
It is essentially the opposite of his time at the UFC, where the company had a dominant presence in the US but was confronted with challenges that expand abroad. While the UFC is now a global powerhouse, Zelaznik bears the experience – and the scars – when that was not the case.
“The success in the US gave Dana the confidence to invest worldwide and build international offices,” he says. “So while UFC went from the US to international, we go from Europe to the US”
Glory has just re -introduced the American Arena after a break, but Zelaznik has faith in the innovative approach of the company.
“The key for us on the business side – further than just building fans – is that we do something unique by bridging traditional sports with new media and influencers,” he says. “We embrace the maker community in a way that nobody else has.”
For Glory CEO Marshall Zelaznik, makers are not only ambassadors – they are the lifeline of the growth strategy of his company.
“The Kai Cenats of the world have this incredible machine that generates interest and viewers,” he says. “They are the new linear TV networks to grow a fan base.”
As the world’s most important kickboxing organization, Glory embraces this evolution head-on, borrow from the cultural playbook that explodes gaming, maker boxing and twitch style involvement, while anchoring in elite competition and high-quality production.
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