Sports events have always had the eyes of dedicated fans. As various sports gained more popularity, different companies noticed a potential benefit they could get from sponsoring these events.
Over the last couple of years, mixed martial arts (MMA) led by UFC as well as Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) gained more popularity among different audiences worldwide. The business of sports has always attracted casinos and sports betting platforms. It’s a great deal they both target similar demographics: men between 18-34 years old who are interested in sports and gambling.
The Growing Trend of Sponsoring BJJ and MMA events
There are many ways online casinos use various marketing channels to promote their games. If you’re just starting out in gambling, it’s good to read a couple of reviews beforehand. This could be specifically about a casino, or a list of top platforms with a variety of offerings, like for example, no deposit bonus 2023 Germany. That’s how you can find the best deals on the market from the top online casino platforms. Or research the new platform that you saw in promotion materials of your favorite BJJ or MMA athlete.
Online casinos have scored multiple partnerships in sports over the years. The most devoted fans would love to try their luck by placing bets on their favorite athletes or teams. This is one of the main reasons online gambling sites seek exposure through sports sponsorships.
Why Casinos Want to Sponsor More Sports Events?
Over the last decade, online casinos have become major sponsors of MMA and BJJ events and fighters. If we take this trend from the sports perspective, then casino sponsorships have provided significant financial support for chosen tournaments or athletes.
Both industries, martial arts, and online casinos, are very adrenaline-based and tend to revolve around many emotions. This is a common point, which resulted in many successful campaigns and sponsorship deals.
Besides that BJJ and MMA are popular around the world, having tournaments in different countries. This attracts a diverse international audience, which online casinos also try to target with their messaging. That’s why MMA events and fighters have become a valuable asset for casinos looking to expand their audiences and get into new markets.
Casinos often sponsor various tournaments or specific fighters, adding their logos to the venues, promo materials, and more to make their brands seen by millions of people. Even though MMA became mainstream through UFC with fighters like Connor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu also has a large niche following globally.
The Top 3 Examples of Successful Sponsorships
Here are some of the most notable examples of successful partnerships between online casinos and professional martial arts sports.
PokerStars and UFC’s Conor McGregor
PokerStars, a well-known online poker site, had a long-standing deal with UFC star Conor McGregor. Their cooperation dates back to 2013 when the company first sponsored the unknown fighter. As McGregor started rising in his career, the partnership became more and more expensive.
The peak was in 2016 when McGregor was getting $5 million annually from the poker platform. The deal soon ended, but it showed to play a huge role in success of McGregor and Pokerstars, as it allowed to establish it as a major player in sports sponsorships.
BetMGM and UFC
Another notable example of casino sponsorship is the UFC’s multi-year deal with BetMGM in 2019. The BetMGM became an official sports betting partner of the UFC, as the platform was given exclusive rights to use UFC trademarks in their betting products.
BetMGM also got permission to use UFC fighters for promotion through its various marketing channels. This deal proved to be successful, as the UFC gained exposure to BetMGM’s customers, while the gambling company has been able to use the popularity of the sport to reach its target audience.
UFC’s recent partnership with Roobet
Crypto casino Roobet recently announced a sponsorship deal with UFC, where the Octagon at some events will include assets of their free-to-play micro site Roobet.fun.
Besides that, Roobet.fun will provide fighter endorsements and be added as a presenting sponsor of UFC’s vlog series on YouTube “Embedded”. The series gets the backstage of athletes preparing for their matches. According to the deal, UFC should also provide Roobet.fun with tickets to events and VIP perks for the site to include in their sweepstakes giveaways.
Summing Up
These examples show that it’s only the beginning of successful partnerships between BJJ and MMA athletes and gambling platforms. Brought together by thrills and emotions, martial arts sports and online gambling websites can leverage fruitful collaboration. Online casinos saw numerous benefits from cooperating with sports organizations, including massive brand exposure. When investing in sports, they get access to their niche target audience, men aged between 18 to 34.
