ONE Announces 5 New Marquee Sponsors For ‘The Apprentice: ONE Championship Edition’ Season 2
ONE Championship, the largest martial arts organization in the world, today announced five new flagship sponsors for Season 2 of “The Apprentice: ONE Championship Edition” reality series.
Qatar Airways, Ooredoo Qatar, Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison (Indosat), TUMI and Katara Hospitality join a burgeoning roster of strategic partners for the second season of the critically acclaimed show including the Singapore Tourism Board and Media City Qatar.
Filming of the second season has already begun across various locations in both Singapore and Qatar, including Katara Hospitality’s Raffles and Fairmont Hotels in Doha. The show is being directed by Refinery Media and Executive Producer Karen Seah, who led production of the award-winning first season.
Hari Vijayarajan, Chief Commercial Officer of ONE Championship, stated: “We’re thrilled to welcome all our new sponsors to ‘The Apprentice: ONE Championship Edition’ Season 2 and their support will be invaluable in making the series yet another huge success. The drama has already begun in filming, and we’re going to have plenty of excitement in store to delight all fans of the show. A deep and sincere thank you to all our partners for helping us elevate both ONE Championship and The Apprentice to new heights in Season 2.”
Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker said: “We are delighted to partner with ONE Championship to spotlight Qatar’s thriving business landscape through Season 2 of ‘The Apprentice: ONE Championship Edition’ show. Our collaboration provides an excellent opportunity to showcase Qatar’s offerings and infrastructure for a myriad of successful businesses and will elevate the country’s brand as a rising global business hub.”
Aziz Fakhroo, Managing Director & CEO of Ooredoo Group, said: “As a global brand serving over 158 million customers worldwide, Ooredoo is always on the look-out for innovative ideas that can deliver upgraded and transformational user experiences. The challenges presented on The Apprentice require contestants to be creative, resourceful and innovative; all qualities that perfectly align with Ooredoo’s core values. Being part of the show demonstrates our commitment to innovation and excellence in the telecommunications industry, and I look forward to seeing all the exciting ideas the candidates have to offer.”
Vikram Sinha, President Director & CEO of Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison, said: “Indosat focuses on a partnership-first approach as our key strategy, collaborating with global partners who share the same value to empower communities. Through our collaboration with ONE, we aspire to unlock the potential to reach a greater audience in the region within the millennial community. This is in line with our mission to deliver world-class digital experiences, connecting and empowering every Indonesian.”
Adam Hershman, Vice President of TUMI APAC & Middle East, said: “We are very excited to continue TUMI’s partnership with ONE Championship and, specifically, ‘The Apprentice: ONE Championship Edition’ franchise. Last season, we partnered with the show and its contestants to launch TUMI’s first ever line of luxury esports bags which continue to have great response from the market. TUMI continues to be inspired by the contestants and we are looking forward to working with them as they embark on this exciting journey.”
Christian Hirt, Managing Director of Raffles and Fairmont Doha, said: “We are thrilled to be hosting ‘The Apprentice: ONE Championship Edition’ at Raffles and Fairmont Doha. The show’s format is synonymous around the world for being at the forefront of business entertainment television. People around the world are already familiar with the iconic landmark which is Katara Towers from the incredible 2022 FIFA World Cup in which the property featured heavily in shots of the city.
“We are continuing to build on the success of the tournament by hosting The Apprentice and showing audiences how beautiful Qatar is. It’s also a wonderful opportunity to showcase the incredible business function and facilities we have at the properties in the coming months and see it on TV. Along with the brilliant exposure it will bring to the properties, it is incredibly important to us to support young entrepreneurs and offer them the space to thrive.”
Similar to the first season, the second season of The Apprentice will feature contestants from around the world taking part in high-stakes competitions involving both business and physical challenges. This latest season will also feature celebrity cameo appearances including combat sports legend John Wayne Parr as well as ONE athletes Stamp Fairtex, Liam Harrison and the Ruotolo brothers.
Additionally, a ONE World Champion is competing as a contestant this season and will vie for the grand prize of a one-year, US$250,000 job offer to work directly under ONE Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong at ONE’s headquarters in Singapore. The identity of this contestant and other cast members will be revealed at a later date.
The critically acclaimed first season, with 13 episodes, was shot entirely in Singapore and debuted in March 2021. It was released on Netflix in over 150 countries last year, ranking in the Top 10 in Singapore and Indonesia and trending in several other nations across the world. Season 1 also launched on Prime Video in the U.S. and Canada.
