Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) has officially teamed up with Sports betting company Neds to become the official wagering partner of the mixed martial arts promoter in Australia. The total evaluation and length of this deal have not been revealed in the public domain. The immediate incentive received by the Entain-owned group will be Octagon branding and exclusive broadcast integration at select UFC events, starting with UFC 264: Poirier v McGregor 3 on July 11.
As part of this deal with UFC, the Australian firm will receive branding visibility at future events in Australia and create promotions for fans and Neds’ customers, who will be able to win exclusive experiences. With new event-specific preview content, UFC will also allow the digital betting company to have a presence across its social media.
James Burnett, chief marketing officer at Neds, said: “The rising popularity of UFC over the past decade has translated into incredible growth in the Australian wagering space, and we are confident that will only continue to scale in the coming years.”
Nick Smith, vice-president of global partnerships at UFC, also admitted that this deal further strengthens the claim that the Ultimate Fighting Championship has shown tremendous growth in Australia. Smith also insisted that the deal with Neds will help in tapping an important market by engaging with fans.
In 2018, Queensland-based Neds International was acquired by FTSE 100-listed company Entain Group for A$68m ($52.6m/€43.2m), with the potential to rise to A$95m, just a year after it launched. The partnership with the Ultimate Fighting Championship will further enhance the brand value and total worth of Neds International.
Global entertainment, sports, and content company Endeavor own the UFC, which recently became a public company. Ultimate Fighting Championship is spear-headed by President Dana White. Endeavor Group Holdings reported a net income of $2.4m (€1.97m) for the first quarter of 2021 on overall revenue of $1.07bn.