Online gambling operator Bet365 has agreed to an expanded partnership with mixed martial arts series the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).
Under the deal, Bet365 will remain the official sportsbook partner of the UFC in the UK and Ireland for at least the next year.
This arrangement will also be extended to cover certain other European territories. These include Bulgaria, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Sweden.
Other aspects of the deal include IMG Arena, an official partner of UFC, providing a range of features for the Bet365 app and website. This covers assets such as the UFC’s official data feed and in-screen live streaming of UFC bouts.
Bet365 users can also now access a “Bet Builder” feature, allowing them to create bespoke bets. Players can select from multiple markets for the same bout and combine them into a single bet.
Ongoing deal
In addition, Bet365 will continue to run the “One on One” dedicated UFC show on its official YouTube channel. This will feature exclusive previews, analysis and demonstrations of MMA techniques.
“We’re delighted to extend our partnership with UFC for a third consecutive year,” a Bet365 spokesperson said. “2023 will be the biggest and most exciting year yet for our customers, with the launch of two new enhancements to our UFC betting experience.
“Customers will be able to bet on UFC via our market-leading Bet Builder product. Existing customers will also be offered live streaming for UFC events as an in-app feature.”
UFC vice-president of global partnerships, Nicholas Smith, added: “Bet365 have been such a great partner over the years. Not only are they invested in growing the sport of MMA by creating bespoke and educational content, but they share UFC’s vision of innovation and creativity to deliver fans and customers the best experience possible.
“We look forward to growing and expanding this partnership for years to come.”
The UFC has similar partnerships in place with a number of other operators. Last month, the series struck a regional deal with FL Entertainment-owned Betclic.
Betclic now serves as an official betting partner of the UFC in France, Poland and Portugal.
