The UFC has announced a new partnership with Fathead to create life-sized posters of UFC fighters. For those that are unfamiliar with Fathead, the company makes life-sized posters that can be pressed onto a wall without any additional supports and just as easily removed without leaving a mark on the wall. The company currently has deals with the NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, NASCAR, and the NCAA.
ULTIMATE FIGHTING CHAMPIONSHIP® ANNOUNCES LICENSING AGREEMENT WITH FATHEAD®
LIFE-SIZE WALL GRAPHICS FEATURING
UFC® STARS AVAILABLE SOON
Las Vegas, NV (USA) – Almost everyone had a poster of their favorite athlete hanging on the wall when they were younger.
Now, fans have the opportunity to celebrate the superstars of the Ultimate Fighting Championship®. UFC President Dana White announced today that the UFC has agreed to a licensing agreement with Fathead®, the leading brand in officially licensed graphic products. Fathead currently produces life-size wall graphics for major sports organizations including the National Football League and Major League Baseball. With the announcement of this agreement, Fathead will begin producing life-size wall graphics featuring the UFC’s top stars.
“Fathead makes the best wall graphics in the business,” White said. “This is another cool way for our fans to show support for their favorite UFC fighters.”
Fathead will produce the first UFC life-size wall graphics in the coming months. Once the first Fatheads are rolled out, fans can purchase them at a variety of major retailers, as well as at UFCStore.com and Fathead.com. In the end, UFC officials are pleased to offer another unique product to fans, as well as continue to increase brand awareness.
“This partnership with UFC is another step in continuing to align ourselves with the hottest brands out there,” says Patrick McInnis, Fathead CEO. “They are on track to be one of most dominant sports in the world and we are thrilled to be in the Octagon with them.”
Payout Perspective:
The days of the UFC leaving money on the table are quickly coming to an end. The company is working hard to diversify its revenue – to move away from that 75-25 split – and in the last 24 months, alone, it has added toys, trading cards, video games, and posters to its list of available merchandise. In that same period of time, the UFC has also started its own magazine and opened the first in a series of UFC branded fitness facilities.
Easy money? Yes and no. This is obviously the fun part for the UFC, but it’s not without its risk. The UFC must be careful to not step beyond its competencies where ancillary revenue is concerned. Things like toys and video games fit within its realm; the fitness facilities are also a smart move, if not more due to the potential brand building effects than the ancillary revenue potential. But when the UFC jumps into stuff like online poker there is some cause for concern.
You can draw a pretty strong relational line between the UFC and its merchandise (or the fitness facility), but its much harder to draw that line between the UFC and poker. The only thing the two share is a demographic: males aged 18-34. That’s a questionable pursuit. The UFC is absolutely right to be going after the 18-34 demo, but the risk in using something like poker – something that you wouldn’t ever associate with the UFC brand – is that the organization starts trying to be too many things to too many people.
It’s a slippery slope. On its own, the poker isn’t a bad thing, but where does the UFC draw the line?
Jason says
IT”S ABOUT TIME!!! I just hope I can get an Arianny Celeste. Wonder if I can get the Rashad KO face?
Brain Smasher says
I doubt they will make a Arianny Celeste. It defeats the purpose of the Fathead. Fatheads are supposed to not leave a sticky residue on your wall. ;O