Entain, the UK-based sports betting and gambling company, has extended its multi-year regional partnership with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) mixed martial arts promotion.
Under the renewed agreement, the firm will continue as UFC’s official wagering partner in Australia and New Zealand until 2025.
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UFC, part of the TKO Group, first brought Entain on board as its betting partner via the neds brand in 2021.
The new deal will see the sponsorship shift from neds to Entain’s Ladbrokes brand, which will be displayed prominently in the Octagon and UFC broadcasts in Australia and New Zealand.
In addition, Entain will partner with local UFC athletes as brand ambassadors to create exclusive content and fan promotions.
The UFC features several Australian fighters, including the current featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski.
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By GlobalDataNick Smith, vice president and head of international business development and global partnerships for UFC & WWE – TKO, said: “Since 2021, Entain has raised the bar for our international partnerships with their commitment to high-quality content and offerings for UFC fans in Australia.
“To now have the strength of the Ladbrokes brand on board, we’re excited to produce even more great activity for fans right across Australia and New Zealand.”
Mel Kenneday, Entain Australia and New Zealand chief marketing officer, added: “The partnership between the UFC and Entain has been a highly successful one over the past three years with neds and we are thrilled to keep the UFC partnership in the Entain family.
“Ladbrokes is committed to enhancing the overall experience for UFC fans in Australia. Our innovative approach to wagering, coupled with the world-class entertainment that the UFC delivers, ensures an unmatched level of engagement for our customers.”
This week, ESPN, the Disney-owned heavyweight sports broadcaster, renewed its media rights deal with UFC in Australia and New Zealand.
Through the extension, ESPN has retained the rights to deliver all 30 UFC Fight Night events, along with all 12 UFC pay-per-view (PPV) Prelims each year.
Australian pay-TV operator Foxtel is the exclusive home of all PPV UFC events in the country through a deal signed last year.
Last month (January), TKO Group, the combat sports giant formed out of the merger of UFC and wrestling’s WWE, combined the commercial teams of the two organizations.
Grant Norris-Jones, who held senior commercial roles at UFC for over seven years, was elevated to lead the integrated unit as executive vice president and head of global partnerships for TKO, which includes the entirety of UFC and WWE properties.
Endeavor, the international entertainment and sports giant, completed its deal with WWE to merge the organization with UFC under the TKO Group name last year.
