WSOF expands international broadcast footprint, event schedule with IMG Media

World Series of Fighting will soon head beyond U.S. borders.

The upstart MMA promotion, headed by advertising and marketing mogul Sig Rogich and run by Ray Sefo and Ali Abdel-Aziz, today announced plans to promote events in Canada, Brazil, England and Eastern Europe.

IMG Media, a subsidiary of media giant IMG, has signed a three-year deal to represent and distribute WSOF on the international market.

WSOF’s expansion calls for an additional two to four events per year in 2014 and 2015. The promotion’s current deal with domestic TV partner NBC Sports Network requires a minimum of six events.

So far, all WSOF events have been held in the U.S. On Oct. 26, WSOF 6 takes place at BankUnited Center in Coral Gables, Fla., and features a welterweight title bout between UFC vet Josh Burkman and Steve Carl.

The promotion’s previous event, WSOF 5, drew an average of 227,000 viewers, falling just short of a high set by WSOF 4, which drew 264,000.

An IMG rep said the WSOF’s stable of talent and MMA’s appeal to young demographics made the promotion an attractive property.

“Even though WSOF is less than a year old, it has been exceptionally well-received and has attracted top quality fighters, both experienced and up and coming,” IMG Media Senior Vice President Hillary Mandel stated.

WSOF President Ray Sefo added: “We are proud and excited to be represented by IMG. WSOF will put on some of the best MMA events in the world with great fighters and great matchups.”

IMG boasts 3,200 employees in more than 30 countries and is headed by former Viacom CFO Michael J. Dolan. The company has large holdings in mobile TV services, and its television and event divisions produce and distribute sports programming in figure skating, golf, motor sports, running, surfing and tennis.

For more on WSOF 6, stay tuned to the MMA Rumors section of the site.