In this episode of The Tim Ferriss Show, ONE Championship CEO Chatri Sityodtong discusses his path from living on $4 per day during his Harvard years to building one of the world's top 10 sports media properties. His story includes candid details about his early life, including his father's departure, emigrating to America with $1,000, and his mother's sacrifices that shaped his drive to succeed.
The conversation covers ONE Championship's evolution from its challenging start—where Chatri faced 150 investor rejections—to its current status as a global sports media franchise. Chatri explains how the organization broke through by leveraging social media, creating mobile-friendly content, and securing major partnerships with Amazon Prime and Sky Sports. He also describes ONE Championship's approach to fighter selection and its emphasis on values like honor and discipline.
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Chatri Sityodtong's journey from poverty to success began when his father's real estate business failed, leading to his father's abandonment of the family. After emigrating to America with just $1,000, Chatri attended Harvard, where his mother secretly lived in his dorm room to save money. They survived on $4 per day. According to Chatri, his mother's unconditional love and support became a driving force behind his determination to succeed, leading him to eventually buy her a New York City condominium with his first earnings.
In ONE Championship's early years, Chatri faced significant challenges, meeting with 150 potential investors without success. Tim Ferriss notes that the organization eventually broke through by dominating social media and creating engaging digital content. Chatri emphasizes their focus on authentic content and letting fighters be themselves, which led to record-breaking viewership of 2.3 billion organic video views during their Tokyo show. The organization particularly benefited from producing mobile-friendly content as social media grew in Asia.
ONE Championship has emerged as one of the top 10 biggest sports media properties globally through strategic partnerships. Chatri describes securing major deals with Amazon Prime and Sky Sports, leading to broadcasting in 190 countries weekly. A crucial turning point came when Sequoia Capital invested $100 million at a billion-dollar valuation. The organization distinguishes itself through a 70% fight finish rate and by signing fighters with what Chatri calls "killer instinct." Chatri's background in martial arts shapes the organization's values-driven identity, emphasizing honor, discipline, and respect while focusing on sharing inspiring stories of victory over adversity.
1-Page Summary
Chatri Sityodtong's journey from poverty to business success is a tale intertwined with the influences of his family's struggles and the powerful figures in his life.
Chatri Sityodtong's life took a drastic turn when his father's real estate business failed, being caught on the wrong end of a cycle with a lot of debt.
The bank's repossession of his father's car and house led to his abandonment of the family, leaving Chatri with deep anger. Reflecting on this period, Chatri describes their dire financial situation, with no money left after the business collapse, precipitating a slide into poverty. This financial downturn was scandalous at the time in Thailand, where his father's failure and divorce were not common occurrences. The loss of their wealth and Chatri's anger toward his father were significant in shaping his future.
In pursuit of education and stability, Chatri emigrated to America with only $1,000 and a suitcase. To save money while studying at Harvard, Chatri's mother lived with him in his dorm room, a secret kept due to shame. They survived on a daily budget of $4, and Chatri slept on the floor so that his mother could sleep on the bed. Such extreme financial difficulties meant that Chatri had to seek loans for his education.
Despite the difficulties, Chatri's mother's unconditional love and aspirations heavily influenced his drive to succeed. In particular, buying a condominium in New York City for ...
Chatri Sityodtong's Background and Influence on Career
One Championship’s path to worldwide recognition faced considerable early hurdles but eventually succeeded by leveraging social media and digital content, as discussed by Chatri Sityodtong and Tim Ferriss.
In the beginning, Chatri Sityodtong faced significant challenges in securing funding for One Championship. Despite his and his Harvard buddy's credentials and the market opportunity they presented, they could not land a single investor out of 150 they met within the first three years, indicating the scarcity of the market and competition with UFC, which was believed to have already won the game. They even offered content for free to broadcasters, who would air it at suboptimal times, like 2 AM.
Chatri Sityodtong discussed the initial years of One Championship, which were marked by a struggle to find investors and grasping the theoretical concept of a total addressable market (TAM), which led to no traction. Pushback from over a hundred investors and broadcasters made it clear that convincing the market of the viability of another martial arts promotion was a significant challenge.
While Chatri's mother's encouragement was not directly mentioned in relation to persistence with investor meetings, it can be inferred that her presence and shared struggle were a source of inspiration, given her history of overcoming adversity.
Chatri Sityodtong’s team aimed to dominate social media and create engaging digital content to promote One Championship. Tim Ferriss praised their focused approach for becoming very large in a relatively short period of time by utilizing strong emotions like laughter with organic outtakes and highlights featuring the fighters' personalities.
Tim Ferriss believes that One Championship has one of the best social media teams in any industry. Chatri Sityodtong emphasizes authenticity in One Championship's content and lets fighters be themselves, showing their real stories without manufacturing drama. Chatri also credits his social media team as the best, mentioning that he started the first page and acted as the initial social media manager, learning every trick to create engaging content.
Chatri Sityodtong mentioned that One Championship broke vie ...
Challenges and Breakthroughs In Globalizing One Championship
ONE Championship distinguishes itself as one of the top 10 biggest sports media properties in the world by leveraging impactful partnerships, enhancing its digital footprint, and offering innovative programming that resonates with a global audience.
Chatri Sityodtong shares his journey with ONE Championship, focusing on how effective partnerships have propelled its global reach and credibility.
Broadcasting live in 190 countries each week, ONE Championship has secured major deals with Amazon Prime and Sky Sports, and has connected with various regional networks, such as Unix in Japan and Channel 7 in Thailand. Tim Ferriss's first exposure to ONE Championship on Amazon Prime underscores the effectiveness of these partnerships. Chatri highlights the importance of deep and strong partnerships, enhanced weekly through cross-departmental meetings focused on programming, marketing, and sales, positioning the show's value to draw premium viewership and cultural relevance.
A pivotal moment in ONE Championship's history was the "hockey stick charts" elevator encounter leading to Sequoia Asia's initial investment of $15 million, which was just the beginning. Sequoia Capital Asia, and particularly managing partner Shailendra Singh, played a vital role in setting up a meeting between Chatri and Sequoia's legendary investors, Michael Moritz and Douglas Leone. The result was a $100 million investment from Sequoia's main Silicon Valley fund at a valuation of around one billion dollars. This funding validated the company's potential and had a significant impact on its journey.
Chatri also delves into how collaborations with government entities, such as Qatar's government investing in ONE Championship, bolster the organization's live events. Noteworthy moments include the warm welcome organized for Tang Kai by the government, reflecting their active support.
To captivate its audience, ONE Championship curates a unique fight experience that prioritizes finishing rates and the "killer instinct" of fighters.
Chatri Sityodtong notes the organization's impressive 70% finish rate, indicating decisive outcomes in fights rather than scoring points. The promotion's commitment to "barn burners" where fighters seem to contend for their lives results in an incredibly engaging spectator sport.
ONE Championship scouts and signs top martial artists worldwide, with criteria focused on killer instincts and high finish rates. Athletes like the Rooktang and the rural Totro brothers embody this, striving for self-defense and finishing their opponents. Tim Ferriss also mentions the prowess of fighters like Stamp Fairtex, contributing to the raw appeal of the fights.
Rounding off the immersive experience, Chatri personalizes his leadership by delivering pregame speeches, rallying fighters around their years of sacrifice, love for their craft, and the opportunity to imprint their legacy on the world stage.
One Championship's Success: Partnerships, Digital Focus, Unique Programming
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