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The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and short-form social video platform TikTok have extended their partnership, which will see the pair continue to produce original live and video on demand (VOD) content for the mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion’s international channels.
Confirmed:
- UFC and TikTok to produce and distribute content across the promotion’s global TikTok channels
- Collectively, UFC’s TikTok channels have more than 23 million followers
Context:
Since the partnership began in 2021, the UFC and TikTok have produced livestream content, including weekly shows featuring pre-and post-fight access, behind-the-scenes footage, and athlete interviews.
The MMA promotion says it is the world’s third most-followed sports league on TikTok, with more than 13.3 million followers on its main account. Since joining the platform in October 2019, the UFC has amassed more than 2.6 billion views on its flagship channel, while videos across all UFC accounts have accumulated over 4.7 billion views.
As TikTok continues to deepen its presence within sports, the social network’s partnership portfolio already includes rugby’s Six Nations and the Australian Football League (AFL).
Comment:
“The UFC has built an incredible following and community on TikTok by providing fans with unique behind-the-scenes access to their athletes and events,” said Harish Sarma, global head of sports and gaming at TikTok.
“By expanding our partnership, we’re excited to continue bringing our global community, especially the mixed martial arts community, closer to the action and excitement of the UFC.”
Coming next:
Under the multi-year deal, the UFC and TikTok’s original content will cater to various international markets, as the MMA promotion targets Gen Z fanbases across the world to raise its global profile.
