While sports fandom has been around for decades, it has only been recently that fans have been able to really see what it is like to go up against their favorite athletes. While it is thrilling to see a 105 mile-per-hour fastball from Aroldis Chapman, it is completely different if you the fan was actually standing in the batter’s box against him. The UFC has one of the most unique brands in sports with its physically punishing nature and the inevitable intrigue of what it would actually be like to be in the octagon against champion Conor McGregor.
Through RFID technology, the UFC was able to make this a reality and give its fans the unique experience of being head-to-head against the sport’s biggest stars. XOLUTION was able to make this a reality for Ottawa-based UFC fans and also added live-event activities and social media integration.
In June, the UFC set up a Fan Village outside The Arena at TD Place and unveiled this RFID technology. Guests that chose to participate were registered with black branded wristbands and the activity centers and through the registration process they provided personal details such as their favorite UFC athletes so the experience could be personalized.
UFC Fan Village Experience from XOLUTION on Vimeo.
Once set up, each fan stood in front of a green screen photo booth and then were to stand head-to-head against their favorite fighter, and a “Tale of the Tape poster” was created to see how he or she would stack up. This was immediately able to be shared on-site through e-mail or social media, and fans also were able to test their power, speed and endurance in a series of fitness challenges that were a part of the Reebok Combat Fitness Challenge. All stats were saved and provided to all participants at the end of the challenges.
“It’s all about bringing the fans closer to the experience and making them feel like they have a participatory role in the UFC event,” XOLUTION head of business development Conor Davies-Taylor said in a statement. “RFID is a powerful way to personalize the user-journey and give fans a truly memorable experience.
“Entertaining and exciting event activities combined with social media amplification allows the UFC to reach much wider audiences and stake their claim that they are a sport who is leveraging new and immersive technologies to reward fans.”
As technology continues to raise the bar with fan experiences, the UFC and XOLUTION gave fight fans the future of what it could be like to view their sport. As the experiences get more realistic, fans can see closely what it takes to be one of the professional athletes in action. Once they get more used to watching this type of engagement, the leagues will be able to further cultivate their fan base and potential provide the hook to get scores of new fans interested in the UFC.
