TKO Group Holdings, the new Endeavor-owned company that houses the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), has combined the pair’s global partnerships teams into one unit.
Confirmed:
- Move looks to give brands combined opportunities across UFC and WWE
- Unit to offer marketers expanded inventory, increased brand visibility, extensive international reach, and unique integration opportunities
- Grant Norris-Jones will lead integrated unit as executive vice president and head of global partnerships for TKO
- Norris-Jones will work alongside Lou Koskovolis, who takes on expanded role as TKO’s executive vice president of global partnerships
Context:
Endeavor’s decision to combine both partnership teams is not a surprise, considering enhancing sponsorship possibilities was identified as one of the main revenue-generating opportunities for TKO when the UFC’s merger with WWE was announced last April.
Expect more cross-promotion from both properties, which already boast a vast array of big-name brand partners between them, working with the likes of Anheuser-Busch, Monster Energy, PepsiCo and Pizza Hut.
Comment:
“Since Endeavor acquired UFC in 2016, UFC’s global partnerships business has become a significant growth area,” said Andrew Schleimer, TKO’s chief financial officer. “And we believe WWE’s partnerships business has similar potential.
“Together, UFC and WWE create a sports marketing powerhouse, with hundreds of live events per year and a reach that’s equal to, or better than, the world’s biggest sports properties. The newly integrated global partnerships team will offer premium brands the opportunity to integrate and activate within UFC’s and WWE’s extraordinarily popular content to engage their massive fan bases around the world.”
Coming next:
Speaking to SportsPro in November, the UFC’s chief operating officer Lawrence Epstein said 2024 and beyond will see “a tonne of collaboration and marketing” between the UFC and WWE, from selling sponsorships to packaging events, as TKO aims to create “synergistic opportunities”.
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