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Marketing and Sponsorship

Ronda Rousey Expected To Be The Face Of UFC's First Official Outfitting Deal

UFC Senior VP/Global Marketing Partnerships Mike Mossholder indicated that fighter Ronda Rousey will "likely be the face of the UFC's first official outfitting deal," according to Michael McCarthy of ADWEEK. Mossholder, who would not reveal the outfitter, said the UFC is "actively engaged in conversations" with a "premium apparel line" for an exclusive deal to outfit the league's 400-plus fighters. Mossholder said since Rousey is the "most requested athlete" by UFC sponsors, it is "highly likely" she would be highlighted in the deal. Rousey said that she has "opted to keep sponsors to a minimum." Rousey: “You give yourself more value if you don’t walk out looking like a race car covered in ads. I like to think my sponsors are valued more because it’s more clean looking.” Rousey is interested in more deals, but said she is in "no rush" because she wants to be totally "committed" to her current sponsors. Xyience President John Lennon said that when the "official energy drink of the UFC put her image on cans, sales jumped" 12%. McCarthy noted historically, the UFC has allowed athletes to "cut their own deals for the brands they wear" during UFC bouts and Rousey now "wears the brand's logo inside the Octagon" (ADWEEK.com, 7/27).

SETTING THE PRECEDENT: FOXSPORTS.com's Marc Raimondi noted UFC fighters Jon Jones, Anderson Silva and Junior dos Santos "have sponsorships with Nike," while Georges St-Pierre "is signed by Under Armour." Meanwhile, Reebok and adidas are "relative newcomers to the MMA landscape." Reebok has a deal with Johny Hendricks, and Robbie Lawler "just signed" with adidas. UFC President Dana White said that as far as a uniform deal goes, it "would be better for fighters, especially at the lower levels, who have trouble finding sponsors" (FOXSPORTS.com, 7/28).

SBJ Morning Buzzcast: March 25, 2024

NFL meeting preview; MLB's opening week ad effort and remembering Peter Angelos.

Big Get Jay Wright, March Madness is upon us and ESPN locks up CFP

On this week’s pod, our Big Get is CBS Sports college basketball analyst Jay Wright. The NCAA Championship-winning coach shares his insight with SBJ’s Austin Karp on key hoops issues and why being well dressed is an important part of his success. Also on the show, Poynter Institute senior writer Tom Jones shares who he has up and who is down in sports media. Later, SBJ’s Ben Portnoy talks the latest on ESPN’s CFP extension and who CBS, TNT Sports and ESPN need to make deep runs in the men’s and women's NCAA basketball tournaments.

SBJ I Factor: Nana-Yaw Asamoah

SBJ I Factor features an interview with AMB Sports and Entertainment Chief Commercial Office Nana-Yaw Asamoah. Asamoah, who moved over to AMBSE last year after 14 years at the NFL, talks with SBJ’s Ben Fischer about how his role model parents and older sisters pushed him to shrive, how the power of lifelong learning fuels successful people, and why AMBSE was an opportunity he could not pass up. Asamoah is 2021 SBJ Forty Under 40 honoree. SBJ I Factor is a monthly podcast offering interviews with sports executives who have been recipients of one of the magazine’s awards.

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