One Championship pivots into reality TV with Apprentice-style format
MMA brand and broadcaster One Championship has launched a new content format, deviating from its sports heritage and into reality TV.
One Championship pivots into reality TV with Apprentice-style format
The new show, launched in partnership with MGM Television, takes cues from reality shows like The Apprentice and hopes to find budding founders to fund and develop.
‘The Apprentice: One Championship Edition’, will feature One Championship founder and CEO Chatri Sityodtong as the host, as well as guest founders and CEOs from major Asia-based businesses.
The show will feature 16 contestants vying for the prize, which is a US$250,000 job offer to work for a year directly under Chatri Sityodtong as his protégé at the ONE Championship global headquarters in Singapore.
Chatri Sityodtong, chairman and CEO of ONE Championship, said: “I am thrilled to announce 'The Apprentice: ONE Championship Edition' as our biggest foray into the non-scripted series genre. This brand new concept brings a completely unique and original dimension to 'The Apprentice' with the high-stakes drama of real-life business competitions, coupled with herculean physical challenges, featuring some of Asia's top CEOs, the world's greatest martial arts world champions, and A-list celebrities from across the continent. In combining our respective IP and assets, ONE Championship will redefine the non-scripted genre in Asia across scale and scope. 'The Apprentice: ONE Championship Edition' just might be the toughest in the history of all Apprentice shows.”
It isn’t the first time One Championship has moved from its core business of hosting and broadcasting MMA competitions. The company has also led the charge in investing in eSports in APAC.
In terms of productions and distribution, One Championship said its production arm, ONE Studios will lead production, while it will run on both streaming and linear platforms across the Pan Asian region in the second half of 2020.
Further ahead, specific market-by-market distribution and launch details will be announced and the program is slated for distribution on major television networks and digital channels worldwide, according to the company.
The competition globally between MMA leading brands UFC and One Championship is heating up, with both companies aggressively expanding throughout the globe.