ONE Championship’s United States viewership up by 46 percent in just six months, case study shows

After dominating the Asian market for more than a decade, ONE Championship’s rapid expansion to the United States has been an overwhelming success.

According to a recent case study done by GWI, a leading data solutions company, the world’s largest martial arts organization attained a remarkable 46 percent audience growth in North America over a six-month period between December 2022 and May 2023.

ONE, the world’s largest martial arts organization, attained massive global appeal for presenting the true essence of combat sports. This includes shining the spotlight not just on MMA, but also Muay Thai, kickboxing, and submission grappling, as well as other ‘pure’ combat disciplines.

As the data clearly show, ONE’s unique product resonated with the American audience.

While overall martial arts viewership in the US skyrocketed last year, ONE’s fan base proved to be more engaged and discerning compared to audiences from other promotions.

For instance, ONE viewers spent more time watching martial arts compared to non-ONE viewers (4.9 hours versus 2.7 hours weekly).

Another big reason for this uptick in following is that 45% of fans believe ONE “prioritizes athlete health and safety”. Its closest competitor, the UFC, garnered just 35% in the same category.

Moreover, 48% of fans also reportedly drew “inspiration” from watching ONE’s stacked roster, who are presented as real-life heroes, rather than just modern-day gladiators.

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ONE’s core values are being embraced by Millennials and Gen Z

GWI's statistics also showed ONE as the preferred organization for younger sports audiences.

The global martial arts giant received a 63% approval rating from those belonging to the 18 to 29-year-old demographics.

Another reason why ONE is the most-liked promotion from this age group is due to it being a responsible, forward-thinking organization that gives value back to the world.

ONE’s accessibility is also better than ever, with its world-class events available in over 190 countries worldwide through multiple online platforms. This, of course, is well received by the younger audience who consume sports differently from the older generation.

As such, ONE viewers are more engaged in online forums at (+30%), while those who bet on martial arts matches are up by (+22%).

If you need further proof of just how exciting ONE Championship’s live events are, look no further than the two upcoming blockbusters on the 2024 calendar.

ONE Fight Night 19: Haggerty vs. Lobo on Prime Video goes down live from the Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand on Friday, February 16th, and is available to watch on Amazon Prime Video.

In the main event, Jonathan Haggerty puts his ONE bantamweight Muay Thai world title on the line against Felipe Lobo.

Then shortly after, ONE 166: Qatar broadcasts live from the Lusail Sports Arena in Lusail on March 1, and is available via global pay-per-view on watch.onefc.com.

This event is headlined by a massive ONE middleweight MMA world title showdown between reigning world champion Reinier de Ridder, and two-division MMA king Anatoly Malykhin.