TKO announced today that it has merged the Global Partnership Teams of both WWE and UFC to create a “sports marketing powerhouse.” The following was issued:
TKO Merges UFC® and WWE® Global Partnerships Teams to Create Sports Marketing Powerhouse
01/04/2024
Combined Unit to Offer Blue-Chip Brands Unprecedented Integration within Two of the World’s Most Iconic Sports and Entertainment Properties
NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)– TKO Group Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: TKO), a premium sports and entertainment company, today announced that it has combined the UFC and WWE global partnerships teams into one unit, providing brands with access to one of the most formidable sports marketing portfolios in the world.
UFC and WWE, which collectively serve more than one billion young and diverse fans in 170 countries, provide brand partners unparalleled scale and reach across multiple platforms, including premium live events, original content, and digital media. Further powered and enhanced by the Endeavor flywheel, the company’s global infrastructure that also includes IMG’s dynamic sales teams around the world, UFC and WWE together can offer marketers significantly expanded inventory, vastly increased brand visibility, extensive international reach, and unique integration opportunities across UFC and WWE premier content.
Grant Norris-Jones, who has played a key role in driving UFC’s global partnerships to six consecutive years of record revenue, has been elevated to lead the integrated unit as Executive Vice President and Head of Global Partnerships for TKO, which includes the entirety of UFC and WWE properties. Norris-Jones will work alongside Lou Koskovolis, who is also taking on an expanded role as TKO’s Executive Vice President of Global Partnerships. Together, they will focus on delivering unique, authentic integrations for TKO’s corporate partners. This new joint effort will further benefit from additional support and collaboration with the Endeavor Partnerships team to maximize value for brands across the entire Endeavor portfolio of assets.
With partnership sales, activations, and operations teams in New York, Las Vegas, Stamford, Conn., London, Sao Paulo, Sydney, Shanghai, and Toronto, the newly combined unit will focus on creating new revenue opportunities and brand integrations across UFC’s and WWE’s must-watch live and original content.
“Since Endeavor acquired UFC in 2016, UFC’s global partnerships business has become a significant growth area,” said Andrew Schleimer, Chief Financial Officer, TKO, “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.”
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TKO Group Holdings, Inc. has recently announced the merger of the Global Partnership Teams of both WWE and UFC, creating a powerful force in the world of sports marketing. This move will provide brands with unprecedented integration opportunities within two of the most iconic sports and entertainment properties in the world.
The combination of UFC and WWE’s global partnerships teams will offer brands access to a formidable sports marketing portfolio. With a collective fan base of over one billion young and diverse fans in 170 countries, UFC and WWE provide brand partners with unparalleled scale and reach across various platforms, including live events, original content, and digital media.
Powered and enhanced by the Endeavor flywheel, which includes IMG’s dynamic sales teams worldwide, UFC and WWE can now offer marketers expanded inventory, increased brand visibility, extensive international reach, and unique integration opportunities across their premier content.
Grant Norris-Jones, who has played a crucial role in driving UFC’s global partnerships to record revenue for six consecutive years, will lead the integrated unit as Executive Vice President and Head of Global Partnerships for TKO. He will work alongside Lou Koskovolis, who will also take on an expanded role as TKO’s Executive Vice President of Global Partnerships. Together, they will focus on delivering authentic integrations for TKO’s corporate partners. This joint effort will also benefit from additional support and collaboration with the Endeavor Partnerships team to maximize value for brands across the entire Endeavor portfolio of assets.
With partnership sales, activations, and operations teams located in various cities worldwide, including New York, Las Vegas, London, and Shanghai, the newly combined unit will concentrate on creating new revenue opportunities and brand integrations across UFC’s and WWE’s live and original content.
Andrew Schleimer, Chief Financial Officer of TKO, believes that since Endeavor acquired UFC in 2016, UFC’s global partnerships business has experienced significant growth. He also sees similar potential in WWE’s partnerships business. Together, UFC and WWE form a sports marketing powerhouse, with hundreds of live events per year and a reach that rivals the world’s biggest sports properties. The integrated global partnerships team will offer premium brands the chance to integrate and activate within UFC’s and WWE’s highly popular content, engaging their massive fan bases worldwide.
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