The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) mixed martial arts promotion has signed partnerships with cryptocurrency firm Litecoin and poker brand PokerStars.
Litecoin served as the Official Cryptocurrency Partner of UFC 232: Jones v Gustafsson 2, which took place on Saturday at The Forum in Inglewood, California.
It marked the first time that a cryptocurrency firm has sponsored a UFC event. Litecoin benefited from brand exposure on the Octagon’s canvas during the event, and the company said it hopes the deal will lead to a “long and fruitful relationship” with UFC.
Meanwhile, PokerStars, a division of The Stars Group, will serve as UFC’s first-ever Official Poker Partner, opening up a new sponsorship category.
PokerStars also received a branded presence during UFC 232, while additional partnership activations will include logo integration during UFC telecasts, as well as digital and social media, and other promotional opportunities.
Paul Asencio, UFC’s senior vice-president, global partnerships, said: “This agreement lays the foundation to work together with PokerStars in the future to grow our respective customer bases in key markets.”