UFC and Meta Platforms have inked a major deal with each other.
The mixed martial arts (MMA) organization unveiled the “multi-year” partnership with Meta on Wednesday, saying the Mark Zuckerberg-run tech giant will now serve as its first “Official Fan Technology Partner.”
They will team up to “use Meta’s technology platforms, services, and products, including Meta AI, Meta Glasses, Meta Quest, Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Threads, to immerse fans deeper into UFC content than ever before,” according to TKO Group-owned UFC.
Meta will also be the “Official AI Glasses Partner” of UFC and its social media platform Threads will be the MMA organization’s “Official Social Media Partner.”
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Threads, which the tech giant launched in July 2023, will host “exclusive original content that drives conversation around the biggest moments of each UFC event” and be a “primary destination for the UFC community,” UFC said.
UFC CEO Dana White said Meta was “going to take fan engagement to the next level” through the various aspects of the partnership.
“We’ve already started to work on some innovations with Meta around a new fighter rankings system that I’ll be sharing soon,” he said. “The next few years will be an absolute game changer for fans of this sport.”
Through the partnership, Meta will also “be integrated into UFC assets with extensive activations in all Pay-Per-Views and Fight Nights” such as branding on the Octagon where UFC fighters compete, features in the broadcast and in-area fan experiences, according to UFC.
The partnership may seem like kismet to some, as Zuckerberg is a major lover of MMA, having been spotted at multiple UFC fights over the years and practicing MMA himself. White is also a recent addition to Meta’s board, having been elected earlier this year.
“I love this sport and I’m looking forward to working with the UFC to let fans experience it in new ways,” Zuckerberg said in a statement accompanying the partnership announcement.
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UFC has over 40 live events each year and reaches more than 950 million households globally with broadcasts of those.
In late February, TKO Group CEO Ari Emanuel said during the company’s fourth-quarter earnings call that UFC had “10 all-time highest grossing event records in 2024, with five of those now ranking among the biggest in UFC history.”
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TKO | TKO GROUP HOLDINGS | 158.72 | +5.72 | +3.74% |
| META | META PLATFORMS INC. | 583.93 | -2.07 | -0.35% |
UFC brought TKO Group over $1.4 billion in total revenue in 2024 from media rights, live events, sponsorships and consumer products, according to the company.
TKP Group also owns WWE and Professional Bull Riding (PBR).
