The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), the world’s premier mixed martial arts organisation, has announced a new innovative collaboration with IBM, a global powerhouse in technology and consulting.
The agreement will bring together the strength of IBM’s AI and analytics platform, Watsonx, with the huge global reach of UFC’s content platforms to improve the viewing experience for millions of UFC fans worldwide.
The new deal will make IBM the UFC’s official global AI partner, the first time the UFC has allowed a brand partner to participate in this marketing category.
The cooperation will be centred on the UFC Insights Engine, which has been designed using IBM Watsonx. Insights Engine will use IBM’s data and AI capabilities, including its Granite family of big language models, as well as UFC’s rich data sources, to give more timely and in-depth information to the UFC’s worldwide viewing audience. This involves unique insights and extensive analysis of live bouts, fighter habits, forecasts of probable match outcomes, and methods of winning – all of which will be programmed to update on-screen in real time as additional live data is collected.
Grant Norris-Jones, Head of Global Partnerships at TKO, said, “This partnership with IBM is one of the most significant milestones for UFC and a game changer for how fans will experience our sport. IBM is an iconic blue-chip, global brand with decades of experience in sports marketing. Together, we’re pioneering a product to revolutionize analytics and information in live sports. This partnership marks a pivotal win, not only for UFC and IBM, but also for fans around the world who will experience our sport in a whole new way.”
IBM will also collaborate with UFC to speed up and extend existing capabilities, increasing fan engagement through unique content experiences and unmatched access to UFC fight information. The Insights Engine, developed in partnership with IBM and UFC’s Research and Development team, is set to launch in early 2025. The branded insights, stats, and graphics, which have been integrated into crucial touch points across UFC consumer platforms such as pre-event programming, UFC Pay-Per-View broadcasts, UFC social media channels, in-venue video boards, and more, are projected to reach millions of UFC fans in 170 nations who watch UFC broadcasts and follow UFC social media channels.
Jonathan Adashek, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Communications at IBM, commented, “Data and AI solutions like UFC Insights Engine built with IBM watsonx can offer current fans entirely new ways to connect with their favorite athletes and sports, while also building excitement among new generations of MMA fans. Leveraging watsonx and our Granite models also allows UFC to enhance its digital operations and to harness the power of its extensive library of match data – all to the benefit of current and future fans.”
Alon Cohen, Senior Vice President, UFC Research and Development, said, “IBM watsonx is synonymous with AI, and they have been leading the charge in this space from the beginning. UFC has been working on the concept of the Insights Engine for several years, and now we finally have the right partner in IBM with the depth of expertise in AI to bring it to life. We’re looking forward to rolling this out to our fans in the months ahead.”