DraftKings Becomes UFC’s First-Ever Official Sportsbook Partner

Daily fantasy and sports betting operator DraftKings announced today it entered into a groundbreaking agreement with the world’s premier mixed martial arts (MMA) organization, UFC.

First-Ever Official Sportsbook and DFS Partner

Under the terms of one of the most significant in the history of UFC agreement, DraftKings will become the organization’s first-ever Official Sportsbook and Daily Fantasy Partner in the US and Canada.

“DraftKings is the best at what they do in the betting and daily fantasy space, and unlike other sports, UFC has no off season… This is the most important deal we’ve ever done to increase engagement with our fans and reach new ones, and I’m looking forward to all the exciting things we’re going to do with DraftKings over the next few years.”

Dana White, President, UFC

The deal will allow DraftKings to leverage in-game promotions and activations, odds integrations into broadcasts, as well as branding from the UFC for its DFS and betting products, including the rights to use official UFC logos and marks.

“Combat sports, and UFC in particular, have scaled significantly across both our sportsbook and daily fantasy verticals, evolving from a niche offering to a high-demand category that we believe will only grow further as we innovate.”

Jason Robins, Co-Founder, CEO and Executive Chairman, DraftKings

UFC Increasing in Popularity

Last year, sports events from the UFC propped significant interest in both DFS and sports betting at DraftKings, as the operator launched 2 MMA Millionaire contests to satisfy customer interest and is planning to expand its product offering with several new in 2021.

As part of its plans, DraftKings already launched a free-to-play $10K prize pool contest for UFC fans nationwide ahead of UFC 259 on March, 6, 2021. Besides free-to-play contests on a weekly basis, the operator will provide enhanced prop bets and other sports betting opportunities.

“While DraftKings and UFC have previously collaborated on specific events, we are proud to become official partners and explore even more impactful integrations that prioritize the fan experience.”

Jason Robins, Co-Founder, CEO and Executive Chairman, DraftKings

Also as part of the deal, DraftKings will become the presenting partner of the UFC Fight Clock, the new proprietary time-keeping system which utilizes state-of-the-art technology to provide fighters and MMA fans with appropriate time-keeping. The Octagon® will feature up to 4 UFC Fight Clocks to allow for proper viewing for fighters from any vantage point.

DraftKings will also have brand presence on the Octagon canvas for select UFC events and during Dana White’s Contender Series, sponsorship integrations into UFC content, including live broadcasts and pay-per-view (PPV), social networks, and the leading streaming service for combat sports, UFC Fight PASS.

Prior to the deal with the UFC, DraftKings teamed up with the Drone Racing League (DRL) in January, to become an official sports betting partner of the league and make drone races the first aerial sports event bettors can wager on.