Anthem Sports & Entertainment said it acquired Invicta Fight Championship, which features all-women mixed martial arts matches.
Invicta events will be televised live on Anthem’s AXS TV and Fight Network.
The first Invicta FC on AXS TV event on May 21 will feature a world championship fight. It will be available digitally via AXS TV Now. Invicta matches previously streamed on Fight Pass, the UFC's digital OTT subscription service.
Shannon Knapp, who founded Invicta in 2021, will join Anthem’s executive team and will continue to spearhead the operation.
“We are very excited to acquire this uniquely positioned MMA promotion, adding a new content pillar to our combat sports portfolio as part of our overall strategy to transform Anthem into a leading global content company,” said Ed Nordholm, chief corporate officer at Anthem and president of its Sports Media Group. “What Shannon has accomplished with Invicta is one of the sport’s great success stories. She will play a vital role as a senior member on the Anthem executive team and as a shareholder in Anthem, and we look forward to helping her take Invicta to new heights.”
Financial terms were not announced. The acquisition include Invicta’s fast-paced Phoenix brand.
“This is a huge moment for Invicta and for women in the sport. Invicta FC was founded to give female mixed martial artists a platform where they could compete and prove the doubters wrong,” said Knapp.
“Now, as part of the Anthem portfolio and with shows on national television for the first time, Invicta’s platform will be bigger than ever, and more people will have the opportunity to see the world’s elite female athletes compete,” she said. “With Anthem’s backing, it’s going to be easier than ever for our fans to catch all the Invicta action and for new fans to find out exactly why Invicta is one of the world’s most exciting fight promotions.”
