Peter Murray (American businessman)

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	Bronx, New York City, New York, U.S
Employer	Professional Fighters League
Title	CEO

Career

After 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

Murray was born in the Bronx, New York.^[16]

References

1. 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.
2. Kaplan, Daniel. "Peter Murray". www.sportsbusinessjournal.com. Retrieved 2022-02-16.
3. Harris, Scott. "Inside PFL, the High-Powered MMA League Taking Aim at the UFC". Bleacher Report.
4. 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.
5. Varsallone, Jim. "Exclusive video interview with Professional Fighters League MMA CEO Peter Murray". Miami Herald.
6. 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.
7. Belzer, Jason. "How RSE Ventures Is Revolutionizing Business As We Know It". Forbes. Retrieved 2022-02-16.
8. 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.
9. "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.
10. Cochrane, Joe. "An Eye for Talent: PFL Boss Peter Murray Leading Big 2021 Season". Combat Press. Retrieved 20 May 2022.
11. "PFL CEO: There's Room for More Than One Leader in MMA". Bloomberg News. Retrieved 2022-02-16.
12. Pattle, Alex (13 November 2020). "Inside the PFL, the league changing the biggest question in MMA". The Independent. Retrieved 20 May 2022.
13. Richter, Erich (2021-07-30). "PFL MMA: Exclusive Interview With PFL CEO Peter Murray". GamingToday.com. Retrieved 2022-02-16.
14. "Professional Fighters League Secures $30M in Series C Funding". FinSMEs. 2019-05-01. Retrieved 2022-05-20.
15. Dawson, Alan. "A prime Mike Tyson would have been a superstar in MMA, PFL champion Kayla Harrison says". Insider. Retrieved 20 May 2022.
16. "PFL CEO Peter Murray says leaving own company Insignia was the hardest decision he ever made". 9 September 2020.