Peter Murray (American businessman)
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Peter Murray is an American sports business executive, best known for being the chief executive officer of the Professional Fighters League.
Peter Murray | |
|---|---|
 Murray at PFL press conference in Hollywood, Florida on 9/29/2021. | |
| Born | |
| Employer | Professional Fighters League |
| Title | CEO |
Career
editAfter college, Murray decided to pursue a career in marketing, securing roles at advertising firms Young & Rubicam and Bates USA.[1] In 1995, Murray joined the National Football League, eventually transitioning to the roles of SVP of business & content development and SVP of global brand partnerships.[2][3] In 2009, he left the NFL to join talent agency William Morris Endeavor as EVP of marketing & new business.[4]
In 2012, Murray left to co-found sports marketing firm Insignia Sports, where he served as CEO.[5][6] In 2014, Murray left the agency, which was sold to RSE Ventures, a private investment fund run by Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross and former New York Jets executive Matt Higgins.[7] Murray went to sports apparel company Under Armour, after being recruited by CEO Kevin Plank, where he became the brand’s first VP of global brand and sports marketing.[1][8] At Under Armour, Murray was responsible for signing deals with athletes like Stephen Curry and Clayton Kershaw.[9][10]
In January 2018, Murray was appointed CEO of the Professional Fighters League.[2][11][12] Since his appointment, he has increased the audience and viewership of PFL and signed brand partnerships with companies like Anheuser-Busch, Geico, DraftKings, and the US Marines and with streaming partnerships with ESPN and NBC Sports Group.[13][4][14][15]
Personal life
editMurray was born in the Bronx, New York.[16]
References
edit- ^ a b Taylor, Tom (2020-09-09). "PFL CEO Peter Murray says leaving own company Insignia was the hardest decision he ever made". | BJPenn.com. Retrieved 2022-02-16.
- ^ a b Kaplan, Daniel. "Peter Murray". www.sportsbusinessjournal.com. Retrieved 2022-02-16.
- ^ Harris, Scott. "Inside PFL, the High-Powered MMA League Taking Aim at the UFC". Bleacher Report.
- ^ a b Dawson, Alan. "PFL MMA hopes to continue its mission of reimagining the world of combat sports when its new season begins in April 2021". Insider. Retrieved 2022-02-16.
- ^ Varsallone, Jim. "Exclusive video interview with Professional Fighters League MMA CEO Peter Murray". Miami Herald.
- ^ MMAmania.com (2020-09-17). "Peter Murray's passion has taken PFL CEO to the top of the MMA world". MMAmania.com. Retrieved 2022-02-16.
- ^ Belzer, Jason. "How RSE Ventures Is Revolutionizing Business As We Know It". Forbes. Retrieved 2022-02-16.
- ^ Coleman, Joe (2020-10-23). "PFL CEO who signed Spurs and Anthony Joshua aiming to put company on par with UFC". talkSPORT. Retrieved 2022-02-16.
- ^ "With a fine eye for talent, Peter Murray is bringing big MMA stars like Fabricio Werdum to PFL". GiveMeSport. 2020-12-15. Retrieved 2022-05-20.
- ^ Cochrane, Joe. "An Eye for Talent: PFL Boss Peter Murray Leading Big 2021 Season". Combat Press. Retrieved 20 May 2022.
- ^ "PFL CEO: There's Room for More Than One Leader in MMA". Bloomberg News. Retrieved 2022-02-16.
- ^ Pattle, Alex (13 November 2020). "Inside the PFL, the league changing the biggest question in MMA". The Independent. Retrieved 20 May 2022.
- ^ Richter, Erich (2021-07-30). "PFL MMA: Exclusive Interview With PFL CEO Peter Murray". GamingToday.com. Retrieved 2022-02-16.
- ^ "Professional Fighters League Secures $30M in Series C Funding". FinSMEs. 2019-05-01. Retrieved 2022-05-20.
- ^ Dawson, Alan. "A prime Mike Tyson would have been a superstar in MMA, PFL champion Kayla Harrison says". Insider. Retrieved 20 May 2022.
- ^ "PFL CEO Peter Murray says leaving own company Insignia was the hardest decision he ever made". 9 September 2020.