Meta has signed a multiyear deal with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) to become its ‘Official Fan Technology Partner’, which means we could see even tighter integration of the organization’s mixed martial arts matches across Quest and the companies other platforms.
The UFC says it’s set to leverage Meta’s “leading technologies to deliver unprecedented engagement with hundreds of millions of UFC fans around the world,” which includes Meta AI, Meta Glasses, Meta Quest, Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Threads.
Additionally, the UFC says Meta will become its ‘Official AI Glasses Partner’, and will “work with UFC to creatively use their groundbreaking AI glasses in compelling ways at UFC events.”
“I’ve had a lot of great partners over the years that have helped us grow this sport, but Mark and his team at Meta are going to do things that will blow away UFC fans,” said UFC President and CEO Dana White. “Meta has the greatest minds in tech and they are going to take fan engagement to the next level. We’ve already started to work on some innovations with Meta around a new fighter rankings system that I’ll be sharing soon. The next few years will be an absolute game changer for fans of this sport.”
The matchup makes a good deal of sense, as Meta founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg has become a fan of the sport over the years, even engaging in a number of Jiu Jitsu competitions.
“I love this sport and I’m looking forward to working with the UFC to let fans experience it in new ways,” said Zuckerberg.
White also joined Meta’s board of directors in January alongside John Elkann, CEO of investment firm Exor, and tech investor Charlie Songhurst.
In terms of what it brings to Quest, the details are still thin. While not specific to XR as such, Meta says it’s slated to integrate UFC assets “with extensive activations in all Pay-Per-Views and Fight Nights, including brand placement in the world-famous Octagon, numerous broadcast features, and creative in-arena fan experiences.”
The deal is also set to include Meta’s social platform Threads featuring exclusive original UFC content.
In 2022, the UFC first partnered with Meta to bring 180-degree Fight Pass livestreams to Horizon Worlds, Quest’s social VR platform, as well as the Xtadium app. With the new partnership, it’s possible the two are looking to expand and evolve licensing across Quest, which could give UFC matches even greater visibility on the platform.
The companies say more details about the partnership are slated to arrive soon.
