TikTok isn’t just a social media site; it’s more of an entertainment conglomerate with a singular talent for licensing deals … and the Chinese-owned company is proving it again with a multiyear deal announced with UFC, the world’s premier Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) organization.
UFC announced the deal last week as a way to increase its exposure across the TikTok multiverse, and as a new way to connect with fans.
“TikTok has become a destination where sports fans can discover new communities and connect with their favorite sporting events and athletes in new ways,” the UFC said in a statement. “TikTok LIVE streams give our community a chance to catch exclusive, behind-the-scenes moments and are an engaging channel to capture the excitement and pure emotion of live sports. We’re constantly looking for new ways to enhance the LIVE experience and open the door to unforgettable content that sports fans can’t find anywhere else.”
The partnership will deliver exclusive livestream content for UFC fans on TikTok around the world. The weekly livestreams will feature pre-and post-fight access, behind the scenes footage, engagement with UFC athletes, and other exclusive content executions for TikTok. Through this partnership TikTok and UFC will give fans access to hundreds of pieces of content annually via @UFC, @UFCRussia, @UFCBrasil, and @UFCEurope.
With more than 6.3 million followers on TikTok, @UFC has become the third most-followed sports league since joining the platform in October 2019. Building on this momentum, UFC says it will dedicate resources at their Las Vegas headquarters to provide the TikTok community with unprecedented access and bring them closer to UFC than ever before.
“This partnership with TikTok is a tremendous addition to UFC’s content distribution ecosystem,” said David Shaw, UFC Senior Vice President of International and Content. “We want to be everywhere our fans are consuming content and TikTok continues to break new ground in reaching a diverse, global audience. This collaboration is a great way to drive awareness to our tent pole live events while delivering compelling content to our fans, 24/7.”
From TikTok’s point of view, the deal offers a treasure trove of highly sought after video that most people can’t get anywhere else.
“We are thrilled to deepen our partnership with UFC and launch a robust slate of exclusive LIVE content for the TikTok community,” said Harish Sarma, Director, Global Strategic Partnerships for TikTok in the Americas and Oceania. “Now more than ever, sports fans are craving the up-close-and-personal moments they are missing by not attending live events. Through this partnership, we are excited to bring to TikTok the action and excitement of UFC both inside and outside the Octagon.”
UFC and TikTok will officially kick off the partnership this week with content created around UFC Fight Night: Blaydes vs. Lewis on Saturday, Feb. 20, live from UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Tune into @UFC on TikTok LIVE this weekend to catch video shorts from the event.