DTVE Interview: Mike Weber, COO, FITE

Mike Weber (Source: FITE)

Technology is at the core of streaming, as much as content is, which live sports streaming service FITE stands by. Speaking to Digital TV Europe, about the platform geared towards combat sports, Mike Weber, FITE’s chief operating officer, emphasises the streamer is a “technology company first.”

He says, “In the digital world nowadays, you must have strong technology and Kosta Jordanov (chief executive officer) and Stefan Lilov (chief technology officer) have worked with their team to develop the technology to stream and cast programming from a mobile phone to your connected TV, your Wi Fi connected TV.”

FITE streams a wide catalogue of sports content across live pay-per-view events, subscription packages VOD and free programming to audiences. In 2022 it later launched the FAST channel FITE 24/7, available on the Roku Channel, Samsung Plus TV, Tubi TV, Pluto TV, Redbox, PLEX, Vix, Univision’s PrendeTV , XUMO, LG, and more.

The chief explains as a smaller streaming company, FITE might struggle to rival content from leading sport streamers such as ESPN or DAZN, however he says the company’s technology makes it a worthy contender.

“It is very challenging because there’s some very great platforms out there who probably have a little more funding than we do, he says. “But there’s some other platforms too, that were to us at least were a bigger deal when we started, who are not quite as big now, and we continue to thrive and grow.

Weber adds, “Whoever has the best technology at the end wins. And I will put our technology up against anybody. It’s not because I do a great job getting content or building those relationships. It’s because we have a great viewing experience. I think anybody will enjoy.”

FITE’s roster of combat sports feature a range of MMA and pro wrestling events such as Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship, Major League Wrestling, Game Changer Wrestling, Insane Championship Wrestling, Fight2Win, SlapFight Championship, Shamrock FC, Bareknuckle Boxing Championship, among more. It later made the move into motorsports from 2020 with programming across motorcycle racing, car racing, freestyle motocross and flat track racing.

Wider sports offering

However, FITE’s COO notes football is the latest market the streaming service has been tapping into. The company has secured the rights to South American cup qualifiers, Liga Portugal and is currently live streaming the AFC Champions League, with plans to widen its European football coverage.

Commenting on the AFC Champions League deal, Weber says, “This is not our first time we’ve worked with soccer. But right now, we’re focusing on bringing European football to the platform and expanding as much as possible to the service and to markets that do not receive it.”

Still in its early days at eight-years-old and only launching in the UK and Ireland in 2020 he notes, “The other football events that we’ve offered in the past have been sort of standalone events or special events. The AFC Champions League marks the first time we’re actually airing a whole league from the beginning of the season to the end.”

With plans to bolster its football offering, Weber points to its coverage of the Asian football league’s current season as a test to see how the platforms handles hosting such extensive events. “Believe it or not, there is a lot of technical aspects to this that must be done. So, this has been a great league for us to start to make sure we have all the technology organised as best as we can,” he says.

FITE recently acquired the broadcasting rights to Liga Portugal for markets in the UK and Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and Scandinavia through to 2026. The sports hub will stream Liga Portugal matches live in English covering the remainder of the season along with the entirety of the 2025/2026 season.

Moving forward, the company’s main priority is to continue to expand as a brand globally, with the goal to add more ball-oriented sports its streaming offering.

“I would like to do more of rugby. I’d like to expand a little more in there. And then eventually, I think there are opportunities for ice hockey, more basketball (already showing the basketball game BIG 3 across several markets) and football in the US,” says Weber.

“I think that’s one of the big directions,” he adds. “To have as much sport as possible and to be as global as possible”.

The FITE chief also outlines plans to strengthens its overall combat sports coverage, revealing FITE is to roll out live coverage of Japanese sumo wrestling and a new arm wrestling competition in the first quarter of 2024. The US-based Sumo wrestling competition will be added on FITE in late January with further details of the heavyweight combat fighting event to be revealed in mid-December, followed by the new arm-wrestling competition.

“They’re not new sports, they just we really haven’t aired many of them on our platform, but we’re now debuting with new leagues,” he says.