Sportico reports that’s the UFC has inked a media rights deal in China valued in the ‘high eight figures.’ The deal expands the company’s footprint in the country and has the potential for further financial growth.
The UFC entered into a 5-year partnership with Chinese digital media company Migu. Previously, the UFC signed a 6-year deal with PPTV which was reportedly valued at $50 million.
The deal will include 12 live PPV events and 30 non-PPV Fight Nights per year. The coverage will be available to subscribers via a ‘UFC Fan Club’ annual subscription that will include acces to archival footage, marketing offers and fan events.
SportsBusiness.com reports that the deal includes a partnership between the UFC’s Performance Institute in China and Migu to create exclusive health and fitness content for the Migu Fitness app. The UFC will also hold more events in China as part of the partnership. According to Sports Business, a part of the deal to localize events and the UFC’s commitment to running events and producing content in China was important.
The UFC built a Performance Institute in China in 2019 as a way to make inroads into the country and show its commitment to expanding the sport. One may infer that its investment has paid off with the media rights deal with Migu.
In 2018, Migu forged a partnership with the NBA making it an official partner. It was the first partnership the company had with a North American sports league.
Payout Perspective:
The deal is a major with for the UFC. While other MMA promotions have tried to penetrate the country in order to have access to the huge population of fans, the UFC made the financial investment by building a Performance Institute. Along with the success of Zhang Weili become the first Chinese fighter to hold a UFC title, the sport has taken off in China. The media deal should increase visibility and promote the sport.
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