ONE Championship locks down equity investment

Sports media property, ONE Championship (ONE), has secured an equity investment led by Sequoia India (Sequoia) and Mission Holdings, bringing its total capital raised to US$100 million.The investment round saw the participation of new and existing investors. The company believes this equity investment will further solidify its dominant market leadership position in the sports media industry in Asia and accelerate its global growth.According to the company, its programmes resonate strongly with the audiences in Asia, the home of martial arts for over 5,000 years. The company also added that it broadcasts live around the world to a potential one billion viewers in over 128 countries.ONE has also held events in cities across Asia, including Bangkok, Beijing, Singapore, Jakarta, Manila, Yangon, Macau, Taipei, and many others.“I am confident that Sequoia’s expertise, network, and resources will contribute significantly to ONE Championship's success.  I am thrilled that Sequoia, Mission Holdings, and Heliconia Capital Management believe in both our mission of unleashing superheroes and our goal of becoming Asia's first multibillion dollar sports media property,” Chatri Sityodtong, chairman and CEO of ONE Championship, said."ONE Championship has arguably the most blue-chip institutional shareholder group in the sports media industry in Asia today.  The combination of Sequoia, Mission Holdings, and Heliconia Capital Management creates a meaningful competitive advantage for ONE Championship,” Sityodtong added.“We are excited about the potential for live martial arts content at a time when mobile video viewership is exploding across emerging markets. ONE Championship has been a pioneer and major driving force of the martial arts industry in Asia, with surging popularity across major countries. It has played an incredible role in nurturing local talent and developing local stars, led by a wonderful, mission-oriented team,” Shailendra J Singh, managing director of Sequoia Capital (India) Singapore said."While we are delighted to have been a part of this journey as partners since the beginning, we are equally thrilled to have such a storied, successful venture capital firm like Sequoia join as fellow shareholders,” Saurabh Mittal, chairman of Mission Holdings, added."The timing is perfect. ONE Championship is now well-positioned to extend its leadership as the largest sports entertainment platform in Asia,” Derek Lau, CEO of Heliconia Capital Management, said.