Tequila brand Jose Cuervo has signed a three-year sponsorship with mixed martial arts organization UFC. As the first ‘Official Tequila of UFC’, Jose Cuervo will get Octagon branding at the imminent UFC 264: Poirier vs. McGregor 3 event.
The sponsorship launch will also highlight a new Jose Cuervo digital advertisement featuring former interim UFC lightweight champion Justin Gaethje and UFC welterweight Michael Chiesa and bar activations for fans to watch the event at their neighbourhood bar.
Cuervo will also unveil a new campaign called ‘Cuervo in Your Corner’ offering fans one-of-a-kind experiences, access to their favourite fighters, and digital content.
Lander Otegui, senior vice-president of marketing at Proximo Spirits, the importer and distributor of Jose Cuervo, said, “While fighters might be rivals in the Octagon, Jose Cuervo knows UFC is best enjoyed alongside friends. Partnering with this iconic brand gives us a great opportunity to bring the energy and spirit of Jose Cuervo, a brand known for encouraging celebration and togetherness, to the UFC community.”
Cuervo will also sponsor the ‘UFC Quick Hits’ show, broadcasted live backstage exclusively on UFC social media channels during events and features interviews with UFC talent and other special guests.
Later this year, UFC and Jose Cuervo will host national sweepstakes to give fans a chance to win a VIP fantasy weekend complete with fighter meet-and-greets, tours, and more. Fans can also expect additional initiatives annually, along with premium displays and sampling opportunities promoting Jose Cuervo’s exclusive tequila partnership with UFC.
Earlier this year, UFC launched another sponsorship first for the organization when it confirmed blockchain provider Chiliz to launch UFC fan tokens on the mobile app Socios.com.
The fan engagement tokens will provide owners with access to exclusive UFC content and opportunities, such as fan voting, VIP rewards, exclusive promotions, AR-enabled features, chat forums, games, and competitions.
The deal continues a busy period of commercial activity for the UFC, which this week also announced a partnership with Crypto.com worth a reported US$175 million over ten years.
The promotion also recently named truck company Battle Motors as the presenting partner of its light heavyweight division, which could hint at further partnerships in the future covering select weight divisions.