K-1 JAPAN GROUP

What K-1 JAPAN GROUP does

K-1 JAPAN GROUP is a Japanese combat sports promotion organization headquartered in Harajuku, operating under the legal entity M-1 Sports Media Co., Ltd. (株式会社M-1スポーツメディア). Founded in 1993, it has run the K-1 brand continuously for over three decades, surviving a 2012 restructuring under new ownership and re-establishing K-1 WORLD GP in 2019 as its flagship international series. The organization runs a multi-tier event platform structured as a pyramid: amateur/youth (K-1 Amateur, K-1 Koshien for high school and college fighters) feeds into developmental professional events (Krush, Krush-EX at Korakuen Hall and other venues), which culminates in the flagship K-1 WORLD GP and K-1 WORLD MAX tournaments held at major venues such as Yoyogi National Stadium and Fukuoka Marine Messe. International tournaments have been held in São Paulo, with fighter pipelines referenced in Brazil, Russia, Belarus, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Greece, and Spain.

The business operates several monetizable lines beyond gate receipts: ticketing through the Pia platform, official e-commerce merchandise (k-1.shop on Shopify, price points ¥2,500–¥7,000), a fan club (K-1 Club), international streaming distribution via ABEMA, UDAR TV, CSN, FightKlub, and StreamTicket, a licensed gym network (K-1 GYM), and a formal global licensing program (K-1 License). Marketing is run across an unusually broad localized social stack — X, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, LINE, Facebook, Weibo, and an English Spotify podcast — with the official site supporting eight language variants. The company is privately held with 251–500 employees and recorded a 2020 investment from CyberAgent.

Revenue is not publicly disclosed. The model is fundamentally a sports media/entertainment business: live event gates drive top-of-funnel consumer attention, sponsorship fills the gap, while merchandise, fan-club membership, streaming rights, gym licensing, and brand licensing provide diversified recurring and transactional revenue streams layered on top of the event calendar. Customer concentration is low in the enterprise sense but the business is materially exposed to attendance and sponsorship economics around a small number of flagship domestic events per year.

Name

K-1 JAPAN GROUP

Legal name

株式会社M-1スポーツメディア

Website

https://k-1.co.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

K-1 JAPAN GROUP operates the K-1 kickboxing event platform — including K-1 WORLD GP, Krush, and amateur divisions — producing live events, merchandise, streaming distribution, and gym licensing for global martial arts fans under M-1 Sports Media Co., Ltd.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Combat Sports Promotion

NAICS

Sports Teams and Clubs (711211), Spectator Sports (71121), Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (711310), Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (713940)

SIC

Services-Racing, Including Track Operation (7948), Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Combat Sports Sanctioning Bodies & Commissions (Boxing/MMA/Kickboxing) (MPAKAFAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Competitive Activities (Debate, Mock Trial, Academic Team, Robotics) (EDAJAJAD)

Keywords

• Kickboxing promotion
• Martial arts events
• Combat sports events
• Fight event management
• Sports entertainment

Headquarters

HQ city

Harajuku

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

K-1 JAPAN GROUP operates a portfolio of professional and amateur kickboxing event series, headlined by K-1 WORLD GP, with supporting leagues including Krush, Krush-EX, K-1 Amateur, K-1 Koshien, K-1 DONTAKU, and K-1 WORLD MAX. Beyond events, the group runs a licensed gym network (K-1 GYM), a paid fan membership (K-1 CLUB), a branded merchandise e-commerce store (K-1 Shop), and an international brand-licensing program that produces localized K-1 events in markets such as Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, and Greece.

Product overview

K-1 JAPAN GROUP operates a comprehensive martial arts event platform centered on professional kickboxing. The core offerings include K-1 WORLD GP (flagship world grand prix), Krush (feeder league), and Krush-EX (extended events), complemented by amateur programs (K-1 Amateur and K-1 Koshien for high school/college), the K-1 Awards ceremony, official gym certification (K-1 GYM), fan club membership (K-1 Club), e-commerce merchandise sales (K-1 Shop), and global live streaming distribution. The platform follows a pyramid structure from amateur to professional ranks, with K-1 License enabling international brand expansion.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• K-1 WGP: The main international event series featuring the K-1 World Grand Prix tournaments and world championship fights
• Krush
• Krush-EX
• K-1 Amateur
• K-1 Koshien
• K-1 Awards
• K-1 GYM
• K-1 Shop
• K-1 Club
• K-1 Girls

Products and services

• K-1 WORLD GP Premier professional K-1 kickboxing championship event series and the company's flagship offering, headlining world-class fighters and serving as the top of the K-1 talent pyramid. Targeted at kickboxing fans who attend live, watch on partner streaming platforms, and consume international broadcasts.
• Krush Professional K-1 kickboxing event series positioned as the developmental tier between amateur and world-class competition, feeding fighters into the K-1 WORLD GP. Targeted at kickboxing fans and aspiring professional fighters.
• Krush-EX Extended Krush event series that expands the developmental K-1 fight calendar with additional cards, providing more matchmaking opportunities for rising fighters. Targeted at kickboxing fans and developing pro fighters.
• K-1 Amateur Amateur K-1 kickboxing tournament series providing an entry-level competitive platform that feeds amateur athletes into the Krush and K-1 WORLD GP pipeline. Targeted at amateur fighters and grassroots kickboxing audiences.
• K-1 Koshien Student-focused K-1 kickboxing tournament series for high school and college competitors, acting as the grassroots entry point into the K-1 competition pyramid. Targeted at student athletes, schools, and families.
• K-1 DONTAKU Annual flagship K-1 event held in Fukuoka around the Hakata Dontaku festival period, operating as a marquee live event on the K-1 calendar. Targeted at live-attendance fans and domestic broadcast audiences.
• K-1 WORLD MAX Premium K-1 event series focused on lighter weight class championship bouts, complementing the heavyweight-focused K-1 WORLD GP. Targeted at kickboxing fans and live-event attendees seeking championship-level matchups.
• K-1 GYM Official K-1 affiliated gym network that licenses the K-1 brand and rule framework to training facilities and produces amateur and developmental events. Targeted at gym owners, combat sports schools, and B2B partners that want K-1 brand affiliation.
• K-1 CLUB Official paid fan membership program offering members K-1 benefits, content, and ticketing privileges. Targeted at individual K-1 fans who want recurring engagement with the brand.
• K-1 International Brand License International brand-licensing program under which K-1 JAPAN GROUP licenses the K-1 brand, rules, and event IP to local promoters producing K-1 events in overseas markets such as Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, and Greece. Targeted at local sports promotion companies and media partners.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• RISE: A leading Japanese kickboxing promotion operating under the same ruleset family as K-1, running regular events at venues like Korakuen Hall and Tokyo Dome. RISE is a direct head-to-head competitor for Japanese kickboxing talent, audiences, and sponsor dollars.
• GLORY Kickboxing: Global kickboxing promotion operating heavyweight and light heavyweight tournaments. GLORY competes with K-1 WGP for international kickboxing championship positioning and top-tier fighter signings worldwide.
• Rizin Fighting Federation: Major Japanese combat sports promotion (MMA and kickboxing) founded by the former PRIDE executive. Rizin directly competes with K-1 for Japanese combat sports audiences, venue partnerships, and elite Asian fight talent.

Regional players

• Shooto: Long-running Japanese MMA and combat sports organization with historical roots in shoot wrestling. Shooto is a Japanese combat sports peer operating events domestically and competing for the same base of Japanese combat sports fans.
• Pancrase: Veteran Japanese hybrid-rules combat sports promotion. Pancrase competes in the same Japanese market for fight talent and audience, with a comparable legacy brand identity.

Others

• Combat Press: Dedicated combat sports media outlet covering kickboxing, MMA, and boxing globally. Combat Press is adjacent to K-1 as a media and content ecosystem participant serving the same audience.

Emerging players

• KSW: Polish-based leading European MMA and combat sports promotion. KSW is comparable to K-1 as a regionally dominant, brand-led promotion operating at scale outside the U.S. major league system.

Broad incumbents

• ONE Championship: Asia-headquartered major combat sports promotion with kickboxing, MMA, and Muay Thai divisions. ONE is a broader incumbent with significant capital that competes with K-1 for elite Asian kickboxers and pan-Asian combat sports viewership.
• UFC (Zuffa): The dominant global MMA promotion, which also features striking disciplines and draws top combat sports athletes away from pure kickboxing promotions. UFC represents the largest competitive threat for elite kickboxing talent globally.
• Bellator: Major U.S.-based combat sports promotion (now under PFL umbrella) featuring MMA with kickboxing adjacent formats. Bellator is a broader incumbent competing for combat sports sponsorship and talent at scale.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/k1wgp_pr
• YouTubeyoutube.com/k1wgp_pr
• Facebookfacebook.com/K1JAPAN
• Instagraminstagram.com/k1wgp_pr
• TikToktiktok.com/@k1wgp_pr

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about K-1 JAPAN GROUP