DraftKings just announced a groundbreaking deal with the UFC that marks one of the most significant partnerships for the premier mixed martial arts organization.
The deal will make DraftKings the UFC’s first-ever “Official Sportsbook and Daily Fantasy Partner” in the United States and Canada, allowing them to offer in-game promotions, activations, in-broadcast odds integrations.
On a weekly basis, DraftKings will also provide fans with free-to-play UFC games as well as enhanced prop bets and other innovative sportsbook opportunities. Ahead of UFC 259 on March 6th, DraftKings has launched a free-to-play UFC pool with $10K in prizing, available for fans to enter and compete nationwide.
A source told ESPN that the deal is valued at $350 million, including marketing and cash, with the cash part of the deal in the “low nine figures”. That makes it one of the largest sports league-sportsbook partnerships formed in recent years.
“This is a massive deal that will benefit UFC, DraftKings, and the fans. DraftKings is the best at what they do in the betting and daily fantasy space, and unlike other sports, UFC has no off season. The action will be non-stop for fans of UFC and DraftKings. This is the most important deal we’ve ever done to increase engagement with our fans and reach new ones, and I’m looking forward to all the exciting things we’re going to do with DraftKings over the next few years,” said UFC President Dana White.
“While DraftKings and UFC have previously collaborated on specific events, we are proud to become official partners and explore even more impactful integrations that prioritize the fan experience. Combat sports, and UFC in particular, have scaled significantly across both our sportsbook and daily fantasy verticals, evolving from a niche offering to a high-demand category that we believe will only grow further as we innovate,” said Jason Robins, DraftKings co-founder, CEO and executive chairman.
OFFICIAL SPORTSBOOK AND DAILY FANTASY PARTNER
In 2020, both UFC daily fantasy and sports betting saw substantial growth on DraftKings, setting new company records on multiple fronts. For the first time, DraftKings offered customers two MMA Millionaire contests to keep up with the critical mass of customer interest and has plans to offer several additional contests in 2021.
UFC FIGHT CLOCK
DraftKings will also become the presenting partner of the UFC Fight Clock, UFC’s new, proprietary, and innovative time-keeping system. The UFC Fight Clock utilizes state-of-the-art technology, including the most flexible high-definition screens in the world, to provide fighters and fans with the most accurate time-keeping system in combat sports. The UFC Fight Clock is integrated directly into UFC’s production technology, allowing athletes, fans, and officials in the arena to see the same countdown clock per round as viewers watching the broadcast.
There will be up to four UFC Fight Clocks displayed on UFC’s world-famous Octagon, giving fighters a view of at least one clock from any vantage point. The UFC Fight Clock presented by DraftKings will debut this Saturday, March 6, in Las Vegas during UFC 259: BLACHOWICZ vs. ADESANYA.
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