• Loading stock data...
Friday, March 29, 2024
2024 Best Venues nominations are open now through April 8! Submit Now

Crypto Exchange Scores Massive UFC Deal

  • The Ultimate Fighting Championship inked a sponsorship deal with Crypto.com for a reported 10 years and $175 million.
  • Crypto.com signed a $100 million deal with Formula 1 last week.
Crypto.com/Design: Alex Brooks

If you want to find a platform for purchasing cryptocurrency, just turn on your favorite sport.

The Ultimate Fighting Championship inked a 10-year, $175 million deal with Crypto.com that will put the trading platform’s branding on fighters’ apparel, training staff clothing, and in the Octagon fighting ring.

In May, UFC announced plans to roll out a blockchain-based token in coordination with Socios and Chiliz.

Crypto companies are charging into sports as they look for mainstream exposure.

  • Crypto.com signed a five-year, $100 million deal with F1 last week. It already has partnerships with Serie A and the Montreal Canadiens.
  • Also last week, FTX signed a sponsorship deal with power couple Tom Brady and Gisele Bündchen, and StormX bought rights to the Portland Trail Blazers’ jersey patch in a first for the NBA.
  • eToro has sponsorship deals with numerous European soccer teams, particularly in the Premier League and Bundesliga.
  • FTX won the naming rights to the Miami Heat’s arena on a 19-year, $135 million deal. The San Antonio Spurs said they would consider crypto sponsors after its deal with AT&T expires next year.

The deal begins Saturday at UFC 264, which is headlined by the fight between Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier. April’s UFC 261 had over 700,000 pay-per-view buys.

UFC fighters are not unionized and will not get a cut from the deal. They can pursue their own partnerships with Crypto.com and become paid ambassadors.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

March 22, 2024, Brooklyn, NY, USA; Northwestern Wildcats guard Brooks Barnhizer (13) and Northwestern Wildcats guard Boo Buie (0) react in overtime against the Florida Atlantic Owls in the first round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament at the Barclays Center.

‘An Expensive Game’: March Madness and NIL Collectives Are Intertwined

At schools nationwide, collectives are fueling NCAA tournament runs and vice versa.
Iowa’s Caitlin Clark (22) waits to be announced in the starting lineup against West Virginia in a NCAA Tournament round of 32 game Monday, March 25, 2024 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa.

The Women’s Trading Card Market Is Overlooked. Can Caitlin Clark Change That?

Traditionally, women’s sports cards have been a marginal part of collectibles.
The Sports Illustrated cover signed by Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez, February 27, 2019, at Don & Charlie's, 7501 E. Camelback Road, Scottsdale. Don Charlie S

Everything You Need to Know About the Ongoing ‘Sports Illustrated’ Saga

Understanding the strange state of affairs for the nearly 70-year-old publication.
podcast thumbnail mobile
Front Office Sports Today

MLB Opens Season With MLBPA, Ohtani, and Ownership Dramas

0:00
0:00

Featured Today

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Inside the Big East’s Bizarre Online Subculture

Peeling back the curtain on the ‘phenomenally weird’ Big East online ecosystem.
Mar 21, 2024; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Stetson Hatters guard Stephan Swenson (30) reacts during team practice at Barclays Center.
March 22, 2024

First-Time NCAA Men’s Tourney Bids Could Be on the Verge of Extinction

Power and success are consolidating around the richest teams in college sports.
March 17, 2024

‘Everybody Was Under Suspicion’: The Day Selection Sunday Was Scooped

In 2016, the ‘Selection Show’ backfired when the bracket was leaked anonymously.
Sep 3, 2023; Seattle, Washington, USA; Orlando Pride forward Ally Watt (11) and Orlando Pride forward Julie Doyle (20) enter the stadium before the game against OL Reign at Lumen Field.
March 16, 2024

So Long, White Shorts: Here’s Why the NWSL’s Uniform Pivot Matters

There’s finally a growing trend to adapt women’s sports to women’s bodies.

Careers

Powered By

Careers in Sports

Looking for a new job? Check out these featured listings and search for openings all over the world.
Live Nation
Multiple - USA Careers
Adidas
Multiple - USA Careers
Spotify
Multiple - USA Careers

Planned Timberwolves, Lynx Sale Turns Bitter As Taylor Pulls Teams Off Market

The current majority owner claims that Rodriguez and Lore failed to meet the latest deadline.
March 20, 2024

A-Rod and Lore’s Timberwolves Ownership Plans Still on Track

The duo currently owns 40% of the NBA team and its WNBA counterpart.
March 28, 2024

Alex Rodriguez–Led Bid for Majority Control of Timberwolves Falls Through

Minnesota owner Glen Taylor said the team was no longer for sale.
Sponsored

How Daily Fantasy Sports Solved NBA Fantasy

The remarkable growth of the #1 Discord sports server in the world.
Manchester United stadium Old Trafford as viewed from above.
March 19, 2024

Another Wall Street Giant Wants a Piece of Sports

The investment bank forms a new team devoted to sports deals.
March 4, 2024

Drake, LeBron James Make PGA Tour Investment

The rapper and NBA star will try to boost the PGA Tour, despite not having a strong association with golf.
Commanders
February 28, 2024

FedEx Field No Longer, Commanders’ Stadium Will Get New Name

The Commanders must stay in Landover through 2027.
Josh Harris
February 28, 2024

Josh Harris, David Blitzer Set to Part Ways with Steelers Stake

Harris’s purchase of the Commanders prevents him from keeping the Steelers’ stake.