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Tag: TKO Group Holdings

  • Sportz Interactive expands client portfolio with addition of UFC

    Sportz Interactive expands client portfolio with addition of UFC

    Mumbai: Sportz Interactive (SI), a leading sports technology and content solutions company and a part of the Sportz Solutions Group, welcomed a new client relationship with Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), the world’s premier mixed martial arts organisation and part of TKO Group Holdings (NYSE: TKO).

    UFC’s athlete roster features the world’s best MMA athletes representing more than 80 countries, including India. With this region in mind, Sportz Interactive has been mandated to provide a comprehensive and forward-thinking social media strategy for India that includes regional-specific content creation, localisation, and implementation across UFC’s official social media platforms in India. SI will leverage its expertise in digital content creation and fan engagement strategies to expand Indian fan engagement on UFC’s Instagram, Facebook and YouTube accounts.

    The first successful implementation in the partnership was the launch of UFC’s first official Instagram account in India in January 2024. In the first two months, the account added over 210,000 organic followers and featured a collaboration with Bollywood superstar Vidyut Jammwal for UFC 298. Engagement across all UFC India platforms experienced a strong start, with over 250,000 interactions and three plus million views.

    Additionally, SI aims to drive viewership of UFC events on UFC’s broadcast partner in the Indian subcontinent, Sony Sports Network India – a partnership that was recently extended through 2028. SI, UFC and Sony Sports Network will collaborate on pre-fight week build-ups and live event coverage, including engaging with celebrities and sports figures, and promoting India’s UFC athletes, Anshul Jubli and Puja Tomar.

    Speaking on the relationship, UFC senior vice president and head of Asia Kevin Chang said, “India is becoming a massive UFC market and our efforts to connect with our fan base there is reflective of that. With their proven expertise in the industry, we are pleased to have Sportz Interactive on board to elevate UFC’s digital footprint and we will endeavor to deliver a truly bespoke experience to UFC fans in India.”

    Sportz Interactive head of partnerships & client success Raghav Mehta said, “We are excited about this opportunity to collaborate with UFC  to enhance their digital presence and engage fans in innovative ways. We look forward to maximising fan affinity and building this globally iconic brand in India and delighting sports fans along the way.”

  • Netflix to take a bold step by broadcasting WWE Raw next year

    Netflix to take a bold step by broadcasting WWE Raw next year

    Mumbai: According to a new media report, Netflix will start streaming the WWE program as part of their collaboration with TKO Group Holdings. From the next year, Netflix strategically collaborated with TKO Group Holdings. According to media reports, the regulatory filling company mentioned the tenure of an alleged deal for 10 years valued at $ five million.

    Netflix will air ‘ Raw ‘ as part of a special program. Netflix also has the option to terminate the deal after 5 years and can extend the deal as part of future decisions. Netflix also has exclusive broadcasting rights in the US, Latin America, Canada, Uk.

    According to the latest media reports, Netflix has decided to amplify revenue by cutting subscription prices. For that purpose, Netflix decided to support ad-tier membership plans. It will be the first time, Netflix broadcasts live sports and WWE programs. The company also estimates viewership potentially increases by leveraging its user base.

    In the last few days, OTT platforms decided to expand their viewership across the globe. To make it commercially successful many OTT platforms are started with an Ad supported revenue model. As a part of covering cost exercise, this model has also worked to face stiff competition in OTT platforms.

    Giants like Amazon (Amazon miniTV) also have many Indian OTT platforms like Aha, Zee 5, and many others rolled out such plans earlier. Netflix is considered a premium entertainment app and generally, it is believed that Netflix costs more compared to other OTT subscription plans worldwide.

    To enhance financial strength Netflix started to support ad tier membership plans. This will be a mutually beneficial coalition between Netflix and TKO group holdings. Earlier Netflix was focused on original GEC content including web series, movies, and documentaries.

    Now taking one step further, Netflix elevated its commercial base by introducing such live sports streaming on its platform. As per media sources, Netflix also plans to develop new content that is in line with and similar to WWE sports.

    According to many industry experts, advertising-based videos on demand (ADOV) will grow faster in the upcoming two years. These ad-supported models provide economies of scale benefits to the platform simultaneously with existing audiences on particular OTT platforms getting access to sports content. This move helps larger popular sports broadcasters like WWE to secure better viewership.

    As an aggregator platform for national, and international content, this proactive step taken by Netflix can encourage other OTT players to upgrade its offerings.

    According to media reports, Netflix can also become a favorite stop destination for WWE shows like SmackDowns, NXT, and Wrestle Mania. The paradigm shift of Netflix from GEC to a Sports streaming platform lies in commercial factors.

    Lastly, Netflix is estimated to secure a position to ensure sports broadcasting which will cater predominantly to Gen Z and Sports fans worldwide.