UFC extends reach with fights planned in Macau, Singapore
Ultimate Fighting Championship, the Las Vegas-based mixed martial arts promotion company, has expanded its global reach in the Asian market with planned MMA fight shows in Macau and Singapore in 2014.
UFC will stage live events at The Venetian Macao and Marina Bay Sands, the luxury Singapore property of Sands China’s parent company, Las Vegas Sands Corp.
UFC also is co-producing a Chinese version of its popular TV series, “The Ultimate Fighter,” for the first time.
The Chinese edition of “The Ultimate Fighter” will be co-produced by UFC and Liaoning Radio Television and is scheduled to be unveiled in November on Liaoning Satellite TV, reaching more than 830 million viewers across China.
UFC announced the multi-year partnership Thursday.
In a prepared statement, Mark Fischer, executive vice president and managing director of UFC Asia, said: “We are very excited to announce these new partnerships with Sands China and Liaoning Radio Television. With Sands China’s support we will be bringing regular events to the region, as well as the Chinese edition of The Ultimate Fighter.
“This is an unprecedented initiative for any global sports league in China. With national distribution through Liaoning Satellite TV, we will not only develop the next generation of UFC fighters from China, but also introduce the UFC to millions of new fans across the region.”
The UFC is aggressively expanding its brand worldwide. Recently, UFC cut a major TV broadcasting deal in Latin America and Mexico. UFC launched a joint-venture partnership with Televisa Networks to air UFC programming in 20 Spanish-speaking countries while also unveiling a subscription UFC TV channel.
The UFC is already entrenched in Brazil, where the combat sport marketing company already has a comprehensive TV deal.
