UFC CEO Dana White, left, and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg will be taking part in the UFC 300 event on April 13, 2024 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Jeff Bottari | ufc | Getty Images
TKO Group’s UFC has signed a multi-year multi-year partnership agreement of millions of dollars Meta This brings the Mixed Martial Arts League closer to Mark Zuckerberg’s technology company, UFC told CNBC.
UFC’s integration with Meta will span the company’s portfolio, including Meta AI, Meta Glasses, Meta Quest, Facebook, Instagram, Whatsapp, and threads. No specific financial conditions have been disclosed.
Meta will become the “official fan technology partner” of the UFC and will showcase branding in UFC’s Octagon Ring for pay-per-views and “Fight Night” events.
“Mark and his team at Meta are going to do something to blow UFC fans away,” UFC president and CEO Dana White said in a statement to CNBC.
The partnership with META is separate from the UFC’s media rights debate, which is scheduled to kick off later in April. The UFC’s exclusive negotiation window with current partner ESPN will end on April 15th. ESPN does not intend to renew the transaction before the window’s expiration date, CNBC previously reported.
According to Grant Norris Jones, head of TKO’s Global Partnerships, the company first began working on sponsorship agreements in late 2024. The UFC has discussed many potential partners in various business units and has said in an interview that it can provide much of what Meta wanted for the league.
“Meta will be our official marketing partner, our official AI glasses partner, our official wearable partner and our official social media partner,” Norris Jones said. “They are investing heavily in our ecosystem.”
Meta’s threads feature exclusive UFC content and will be referenced in live UFC broadcasts, Norris Jones said. The companies are already working on a series of subsequent announcements coming in the next three to nine months, including details on a new UFC fighter ranking system that utilizes metatechnology, he said.
Zuckerberg’s MMA Love
Meta founders and CEOs White and Zuckerberg personally didn’t slam the terms of the deal, but Norris Jones said “it’s good to have an air cover” of the executives’ close relationship. White joined the Meta Committee in January.
“I love the sport and look forward to working with the UFC to experience it in new ways to our fans,” Zuckerberg said in a statement to CNBC.
CEO Meta has participated in many UFC events and personally participates in mixed martial arts.
US President Donald Trump and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg.
Cheney Orr | Manuel Orbegozo | Reuters
Zuckerberg said in a January podcast by Joe Rogan that corporate culture will benefit from more “masculine energy.” Meta CEO said in July that President Donald Trump’s response after being shot in the ear was “bad.” Trump is also friendly with White, who supported Trump and spoke at the 2024 Republican National Convention.
“There’s a unique benefit to having a culture that celebrates aggression a little more,” Zuckerberg said in the Rogan Podcast.
In its annual report as a potential risk factor, Meta pointed to Zuckerberg’s love for combat sports.
“We currently rely on the ongoing service and performance of key personnel, including Mark Zuckerberg,” the company said in its corporate application. “Mr. Zuckerberg and certain other members of the management team participate in a variety of high-risk activities, including Combat Sports, Extreme Sports, and Recreational Aviation, which are at risk of serious injury or death. If Zuckerberg is no longer available for any reason, it could have a significant adverse effect on our operations.”
