Meta has signed a deal with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) to become its “official fan technology partner” and offer exclusive content across its products.
The multimillion-dollar, multi-year deal will seek to distribute UFC content, some of it exclusive, through Meta AI, Meta Glasses, Meta Quest, Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Threads.
“Through this partnership, Threads will serve as the primary destination for the UFC community, featuring exclusive original content that drives conversation around the biggest moments of each UFC event and providing a dedicated space for fans to share perspectives and engage with one another,” says the UFC.
Mark Zuckerberg with UFC President and CEO Dana White (Credit: UFC)
Meta will also become the official AI glasses partner for the UFC, according to CNBC, building on the popularity of its Ray-Ban specs.
“Mark and his team at Meta are going to do things that will blow away UFC fans,” says UFC President and CEO Dana White, who joined Meta’s board in January.
In an Instagram video, White teased the rollout of a “fighter-ranking system” this year.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is a big UFC fan. Last year, he challenged X owner Elon Musk to a cage match in Las Vegas, but it never happened. “I love this sport, and I’m looking forward to working with the UFC to let fans experience it in new ways,” Zuckerberg said today.
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It’s unclear if Meta will livestream UFC fights, which could be pretty next-level to watch via smart glasses. More likely, Meta will create supplementary marketing content that aims “to immerse fans deeper into UFC content than ever before,” the UFC says. Fans can expect Meta branding to feature prominently inside the UFC’s Octagon ring during pay-per-view and “Fight Night” events.
Netflix is currently a top contender to take over the UFC’s media rights from ESPN when that contract expires later this month, Sports Illustrated reports. Amazon also streams MMA fights on Prime Video through its partnership with the ONE Championship, and offers some NFL, MLB, Nascar, NBA, and WNBA games.
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About Emily Forlini
Senior Reporter
