DraftKings-UFC Deal Will Include Fighter Meet-And-Greets, Time With Dana White

Daily fantasy operator DraftKings has signed an exclusive partnership with UFC, representing the company's latest league-level deal. The deal will include a variety of offline and online branding assets for DraftKings, including in-octagon signage at UFC events. A key component of the agreement is a host of experiential UFC prizes for DraftKings players. Those experiences include trips to events, VIP experiences as a personal guest of UFC President Dana White and fighter meet-and-greets. Financial terms were not disclosed. The deal adds to league-level partnerships DraftKings holds with the NHL and MLB/MLBAM, as well as a number of pro teams. Daily fantasy games for MMA remain far less prominent than those for football or basketball. However, DraftKings execs said that fan interest in such games is quickly growing. DraftKings VP/Business Development Jeremy Elbaum said, "It's definitely an emerging category, sort of like daily fantasy in golf. Interest is building strongly. So as it grows, we wanted to have some things you could only get by being a DraftKings player." The UFC-DraftKings deal was fostered in part by N.Y.-based venture capital firm The Raine Group, which is an investor in DraftKings. UFC Senior VP/Global Marketing Partnerships Mike Mossholder said of DraftKings, "These guys have invested in the sport and built a meaningful product around it. Their fan base lines up strongly against ours. That is precisely the kind of company we want to partner with."