TV Rights

United World Wrestling Signs Multi-Year TV Rights Agreement with Sporty Solutionz

By United World Wrestling Press

CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (June 19) – United World Wrestling (UWW) and India-based full-service sports business company Sporty Solutionz have entered into an understanding to promote the sports of wrestling in the Indian sub-continent.

Under the six-year agreement, Sporty Solutionz shall monetize and distribute the UWW media rights in the broadcast and digital mediums for the world governing body for Wrestling.

This partnership comes into effect immediately and continues until the end of 2024.

As part of the deal, Sporty Solutionz will also have the right to use recorded footage, feature previews, highlights and news on its partner’s channels.

“This agreement with Sporty Solutionz is a first of its kind in India and we look forward to a long-term partnership that will grow the sport and bring world-class wrestling to an Indian audience,” said United World Wrestling president Nenad Lalovic.

Sporty Solutionz, among the leading sports rights management companies from the Indian Sub-Continent, has distributed sports content of more than 30 sports disciplines around the world while working with over 100 rights holders and broadcasters.

Competitions including top-ranked 65kg freestyle wrestler Bajrang PUNIA (IND) will now be carried throughout India via Sporty Solutionz. (Photo: Sachiko Hotaka)
 
Sporty Solutionz with its expertise, connect and understanding of the market will ensure the expansion of wrestling to new fan base and markets in the Indian-Sub Continent.

“India has a rich heritage, tradition and following for the sport of wrestling. In a rapidly growing economy that India has emerged, the sport of wrestling holds tremendous commercial potential,” says Ashish Chadha, Chief Executive, Sports Solutions Private Limited. “Sporty Solutionz is excited to work with the United World Wrestling to expedite the growth and explore the inherent commercial potential of the sport in the best interests of all stake holders. We look forward to opening in India a new window of opportunities for global wrestling.”

Sporty Solutionz - UWW partnership will cover 4 World Championships, World Cups, Continental Championships, and other age group UWW events.

About United World Wrestling

United World Wrestling is the international governing body of wrestling and is headquartered in Corsier-­Sur-­Vevey, Switzerland. To learn more about United World Wrestling and the activities of its 179 national federations, please visit: www.UnitedWorldWrestling.org, Instagram, Facebook or Twitter.

About Sporty Solutionz

Sporty Solutionz, headquartered in New Delhi, is India’s leading sports business company with 360° interest in the business of sports. Sporty Solutionz has been in the business of international sports media rights syndication, creating sports intellectual properties, commercial monetisation and opening new revenue streams for sports.

 

#WrestleNoviSad

Mesenbrink takes steady steps to win U23 Worlds gold

By Vinay Siwach

NOVI SAD, Serbia (October 25) -- Mitchell MESENBRINK (USA) remembers his last year's U23 World Championships campaign. He won a bronze medal, left Tirana a little frustrated and missing his training room in Penn State.

With lessons from that tournament and surrounded by his Penn State teammates and coaches, Mesenbrink made sure he did not return home without a medal. The former U20 world champion became U23 world champion after beating Halit OZMUS (TUR), 12-2, in the 74kg final.

Mesenbrink was a leg-attack machine in the final and Ozmus did little to defend those, giving up the final in 2:59, just on the stroke of the break.

"It's just about constantly getting better, technically, and emotionally, too," Mesenbrink said. "If I'm just running in there, trying to grab onto his head, he can get in. So just being able to constantly improve. I think that's a strong testament to the people around me and to the coaches that I have and the teammates that I have at Penn State."

Seven wrestler out of the 10 on the United States Freestyle team are part of the same training center -- the Nittany Lions Wrestling Club, Penn State, which Mesenbrink said made a lot of difference this year.

"It's fun, because last year I came by myself. It was just me at the U23s. So it was fun this year that we had seven out of 10 guys," he said. "Last year, I knew the guys, but it wasn't my teammates, right? Now it's my teammates, the guys that I'm literally in the room with every day. We go over and it's almost like, are we even in Serbia right now? It feels like we're in America, because we got so many guys here."

In Tirana, the American wrestler lost to Kota TAKAHASHI (JPN) in the quarterfinals but bounced back to win the bronze medal. But in Novi Sad on Friday, Mesenbrink faced Yoshinosuke AOYAGI (JPN) in the semifinals and came out on top 6-4, with a buzzer beating takedown.

The win boasted Mesenbrink's confidence who was close to make the U.S. senior team for World Championships in Zagreb where Takahashi won gold, but lost to David CARR (USA) domestically.

However, that loss made Mesenbrink think about his aims and how he wants to improve his wrestling on the mat.

"I think the big thing of not making the world team, it was just, I got to get better in those specific areas," he said. "That's the most fun part. I thought this is all this is, is a title. This is gonna be fading so quick. So I thought I'm going to go out there and I'm going to work on the things that I've been working on and I've been working really hard since Final X to get those improvements."

Mobin AZIMI (IRI)Mobin AZIMI (IRI) celebrates after winning the 92kg gold medal. (Photo: United World Wrestling / Kostadin Andonov)

In the only other final of Freestyle, Mobin AZIMI (IRI) earned the first gold medal for Iran after beating Takhir KHANIEV (UWW), 5-3, in the 92kg final. Azimi broken Khaniev down in the final and scored three stepout points to win the gold medal.

RESULTS

74kg
GOLD: Mitchell MESENBRINK (USA) df. Halit OZMUS (TUR), 12-2

BRONZE: Yoshinosuke AOYAGI (JPN) df. PARVINDER (IND), 8-2
BRONZE: Manuel WAGIN (GER) df. Magomed KHANIEV (AZE), 8-4

92kg
GOLD: Mobin AZIMI (IRI) df. Takhir KHANIEV (UWW), 5-3

BRONZE: Sherzod POYONOV (UZB) df. Ivan CHORNOHUZ (UKR), 11-1
BRONZE: Magomed SHARIPOV (BRN) df. Ion DEMIAN (MDA), 10-0

Semifinals

57kg
GOLD: Yuta KIKUCHI (JPN) vs. Luke LILLEDAHL (USA)

SF 1: Yuta KIKUCHI (JPN) df. Nodirbek JUMANAZAROV (UZB), 6-1
SF 2: Luke LILLEDAHL (USA) df. Aiandai ONDAR (UWW), 7-1

70kg
GOLD: Kanan HEYBATOV (AZE) vs. Sina KHALILI (IRI)

SF 1: Kanan HEYBATOV (AZE) df. PJ DUKE (USA), 14-4
SF 2: Sina KHALILI (IRI) df. Alexandr GAIDARLI (MDA), 8-2

79kg
GOLD: Ibrahim YAPRAK (TUR) vs. Levi HAINES (USA)

SF 1: Ibrahim YAPRAK (TUR) df. Nikita DMITRIJEVS MAYEUSKI (UWW), 5-2
SF 2: Levi HAINES (USA) df. Davud DAUDOV (UWW), 11-4

125kg
GOLD: Abolfazl MOHAMMAD NEZHAD (IRI) vs. Khetag KARSANOV (AZE)

SF 1: Abolfazl MOHAMMAD NEZHAD (IRI) df. Khabib DAVUDGADZHIEV (UWW), 5-0
SF 2: Khetag KARSANOV (AZE) df. Daniel HERRERA (USA), 12-2