SBJ Marketing: UFC hits records for Sphere event

Saturday's UFC 306, the first with a title sponsor  and the first live sports competition at the Sphere in Las Vegas, is boasting both more sponsors and more sponsorship revenue than any prior UFC event. According to a well-placed source, sponsorship revenue for UFC 306 more than doubled the record haul at UFC 300 in April.

Call it a paean to tech’s prowess.

“We’ve been able to land some new categories because of the Sphere," said Grant Norris-Jones, UFC's EVP and head of global partnerships. "These are significant, largely seven-figure spends to be part of this event, which was more attractive because of the Sphere. One of them we’d been talking to since before the pandemic. The Sphere just made people more aware of the event, and in a different way."

In a nod to both the upcoming Mexican Independence Day and the title sponsor’s cultural/sporting festival in Saudi Arabia’s capital, the full name of the event is Riyadh Season Noche UFC 306. 

There are 34 corporate patrons supporting the event, including newcomers like Wingstop, which is notable as a long-desired sponsor from the QSR category. Wingstop will have assets for the rest of 2024 across TKO Holdings, which includes UFC and WWE.

Other UFC sponsor “newbies” for 306:

• Dude Wipes

• True Classic (apparel)

• Autopilot (investment app, and a rare financial services sponsor)

• Supercell (the Finnish mobile game developer)

• Sony Pictures (promoting "Venom: The Last Dance")

Among incumbent rights holders, Bud Light has presenting sponsor status, which includes fighter Dustin Poirier "guest bartending" on behalf of Anheuser-Busch InBev at the nearby Venetian on the Las Vegas Strip. Additional Bud Light activation from Endeavor-owned agency 160/90 will include custom wristbands and branding on the Sphere screens.

Norris-Jones said of the circuit's first title sponsor: "It’s the first time a brand has come before the letters UFC, but it’s an asset with a lot of value. They set a strong market rate for a title, so we’ll look at that now for any partner willing to step up."

ANC has won the contract to provide the NFL's largest 4K video board at the 49ers' home, Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara.

The display will be part of $200 million in upgrades at the 10-year-old stadium planned in advance of hosting Super Bowl LX and the FIFA World Cup in 2026 (it will be the first venue to host a World Cup and Super Bowl in the same year).

The 4K video board will be completed in time for the 2025 NFL season. Packaged with the deal for ANC are rights to sell in-venue advertising across certain categories.

T-Mobile sponsorship chief Amy Azzi has been elevated to VP/sponsorships for sports, entertainment and hospitality. Azzi, an SBJ Forty Under 40 honoree in 2022 , has been at T-Mobile since 2017. She also had earlier positions at Visa and GMR.

David Hayob is joining Integrity 9 Sports + Entertainment as CRO, based in Kansas City. The new job follows stops at Kansas athletics, the Royals, AEG and the Mets.

A window into where NFL teams have been prospecting for new business, per SponsorUnited.

Most-searched categories by NFL team execs during the offseason:

1. Technology (11.3%)
2. Financial (8.2%)
3. Consumer Products (7.2%)
4. Food Products (6.9%)
5. Construction & Industrial (6.5%)
6. Auto (6%)
7. Alcohol (5.1%)
8. Apparel & Accessories (4.7%)
9. Healthcare (4.5%)
10. Business Services (3.7%)

Most searched brands:

1. Rugs.com
2. SharkNinja
3. Aura
4. Blackstone Products
5. Build Submarines 
6. Nvidia 
7. BlueForge Alliance
8. Jersey Mike’s
9. Crumbl Cookies 
10. Zillow

For the start of the NFL season, The Marketing Arm has some thoughts on the most-marketable NFL rookies.

1. Bears QB Caleb Williams: “Known as much for his off-the-field style as for his on-the-field performance."
   
   
2. Broncos QB Bo Nix: Already has deals with Old Spice, Mizzen+Main, Ascent Protein and Raising Cane’s.
   
   
3. Bears WR Rome Odunze: Prominently featured in HBO’s “Hard Knocks.”
   
   
4. Commanders QB Jayden Daniels: The 2023 Heisman winner is cast as the potential savior of the long-suffering franchise. He has early deals with Head & Shoulders and Neiman Marcus.
   
   
5. Cardinals WR Marvin Harrison Jr.: As the son of the legendary Hall of Fame receiver, Harrison Jr. starts as a household name. 

• Prime Video’s "Thursday Night Football" presentation is set to debut its third season tomorrow night with a slate of presenting sponsors dividing up each game, including State Farm, Subway and Verizon, reports SBJ's Mollie Cahillane.

• Longtime TOP sponsor Panasonic will not renew its deal with the IOC, marking another departure following the Paris Games, reports SBJ's Rachel Axon. Its contract expires in December.

• Monumental Sports & Entertainment inked a new three-year deal with TikTok that includes sponsorship of the Capitals’ road jerseys and entitlement of the NHL team’s 50th anniversary events this season, as well as arena signage and programming elements with the Capitals, Wizards, WNBA Mystics, NBA G-League Capital City Go-Go and esports team Wizards District Gaming, reports SBJ's Alex Silverman.

• The Caitlin Clark craze continues to dominate sales across women’s basketball, as the Fever star's namesake basketball as part of Wilson Sporting Goods’ new Inspire Series sold out less than 40 minutes after they went live on Monday, notes SBJ's Irving Mejia-Hilario.

• The Yankees and AC Milan deepened their connection with the franchises rolling out a limited edition, co-branded lifestyle apparel collection, reports SBJ's Mike Mazzeo.

• Shaquille O’Neal, in conjunction with Hershey, will release two types of "Shaq-A-Licious" oversized candy gummies that are either molded in the shape of O’Neal’s face or will replicate phrases from his playing career, reports SBJ's Tom Friend.

• College athletics has been at the heart of the significant growth over the last half-decade for Bespoke Sports & Entertainment, as the Charlotte-based agency has increased its conference/official bowl partners from just one to 12 in that span, writes SBJ's Ben Portnoy. The company’s work, which includes experiential and strategy focuses, runs the gamut from bowl games to the SEC. Bespoke was instrumental in helping Academy Sports and Outdoors land ESPN personality Marty Smith as a spokesperson. It helped add Sprouts Farmers Market as the presenting sponsor of the Collegiate Quad gymnastics event featuring schools from the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12 and SEC.