The UFC has unveiled British gambling giant bet365 as its official sports betting partner for the US and Canadian markets. The deal, which sees the Denise-Coates-fronted company take over from DraftKings, will integrate bet365 promotional marketing across all channels and for every UFC event.
Following the announcement, the betting company marked the new deal with 50% profit boost tokens during UFC 326: Holloway vs Oliveira 2 on March 7. Further profit boost tokens will be made available for future Fight Night events.
UFC growing gambling appeal
DraftKings signed a $100m+ five-year partnership with UFC in 2021. Rather than renewing with the Massachusetts-based company, UFC has signed with bet365, which continues its expansion into the North American market.
The mixed martial arts promotion has become a highly appealing metric for betting companies as of late, despite being launched back in 1993. But, since 2005's The Ultimate Fighter reality show, it has become one of the biggest sporting events in the world.
Today, it boasts an estimated 300 million fans. Another reason for its appeal to betting companies is its year-long calendar – there are no summer or winter breaks.
TKO's Senior Vice President of Global Partnerships, Nicholas Smith, said: "bet365 brings scale, credibility, and innovation to the sports betting space, and we're thrilled to continue to develop this long-term partnership at such a momentous time for UFC.
"bet365 is a natural fit for UFC because they understand fight fans and how they engage with the sport in real time.
"This partnership enhances the viewing experience by providing fans with deeper insights, dynamic odds, and more ways to engage responsibly with every bout, from the opening bell to the final decision."
UFC signed a distribution deal with Paramount last year, despite many believing the TKO Group company would follow its sister company, WWE, onto Netflix.
Paramount is shelling out $7.7bn across the next seven years and will carry every UFC event - bet365 will be buying into the exposure this brings.
British-born bet365's continued global expansion
Launched in Stoke-on-Trent in 2000 by siblings Denise and John Coates, the sports betting platform was born from borrowing £15m against the value of their father Peter Coates' betting shop business.
With its global expansion,the company debuted in New Jersey back in 2019, marking its first footstep into the developing North American market. It followed this up, in 2022, with launches in Colorado and Ontario. Today, it is a multinational gambling company operating globally.
Further, despite the company recently announcing it was stepping away from sponsoring major horse racing events in the UK, it has continued relationships in other sports; with it becoming the first betting sponsor of the UEFA Champions League in 2024 – a deal that runs until 2027.
It also sponsors the Denver Nuggets, Colorado Avalanche, St. Louis Cardinals and a growing number of teams in US sports.
Head of Development at bet365, Trip Stoddard, said of the latest deal: "This partnership with UFC marks a defining moment for bet365 as we accelerate our growth globally and deepen our commitment to sports where live action and fan engagement are inseparable.
"UFC's always-on event calendar and highly engaged global fanbase create a powerful environment for real-time betting, and our industry-leading product depth uniquely positions us to elevate how fans experience every fight."
