Steve Williams never intended to build a pillow-fighting league. His original concept was a traveling MMA attraction built around a mobile “Fight Truck” venue, but he pivoted to pillow fighting after his brother told him it had been the highlight of a Burning Man gathering. Now, he’s the founder and CEO of Pillow Fight Championship.
The league’s inaugural event took place in August 2020. It slowly grew through a series of improbable steps, including fights in Brazil, a development deal with Kevin Hart’s production company, and eventually a spot on ESPN8: The Ocho. Over the past three years, ESPN has aired and re-aired PFC events more than 100 times.
Media-rights deals in sports have never been more valuable. The NFL wants to renegotiate its existing $111 billion package early so it can get more money; the NBA just concluded its first season under a $77 billion series of agreements with networks and streamers; and UFC has a seven-year, $7.7 billion pact with Paramount.
Below the top tier, though, the mechanics of media-rights deals for obscure and emerging sports—from pillow fighting and Wiffle ball to competitive fishing and pinball—are very different. Leagues like those typically aren’t getting rich from television; in many cases, they’re simply trying to get on it.
