UFC® Names Riyadh Season Title Partner for Epic UFC® 306 at Sphere in Las Vegas

Rhea-AI Summary

UFC has announced Riyadh Season as the title partner for UFC 306, rebranded as Riyadh Season Noche UFC, set to take place at Sphere in Las Vegas on September 14, 2024. This event marks the first time UFC has provided a sponsor with title partner status. Riyadh Season Noche UFC will be the first sports event at the cutting-edge Sphere venue, celebrated on Mexican Independence Day, honoring Mexican fighters' contributions to combat sports. The Sphere features advanced technologies, including the world's highest resolution LED display and Sphere Immersive Sound system. UFC President Dana White highlighted the event’s significance, promising an unparalleled fan experience. The event will feature extensive Riyadh Season branding and integrations across broadcasts and promotional materials, reaching millions globally.

Positive

• UFC 306 has secured Riyadh Season as the first-ever title partner, marking a new milestone for sponsorships.
• The event will be the first sports event held at the advanced Sphere venue, with cutting-edge audio and visual technology.
• Riyadh Season Noche UFC will receive extensive branding, including global broadcast visibility to over 700 million fans.

Negative

• The announcement does not include any concrete details about the fight card or ticket availability, potentially affecting early fan engagement.

Riyadh Season Noche UFC on Sept. 14 Celebrates Mexican Independence Day as First Sports Event to be Produced at Sphere

Riyadh Season Becomes First-Ever Title Partner of a UFC Event

Watch video as World’s Largest LED Screen, the Exosphere, Lights Up with Riyadh Season Noche UFC

LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- UFC^®, the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization and part of TKO Group Holdings (NYSE: TKO), today announced that it has named Riyadh Season as title partner for the groundbreaking combat sports event to be held at Sphere in Las Vegas on Saturday, Sept. 14. The event marks the first time UFC will provide a sponsor with title partner status, rebranding UFC 306 to Riyadh Season Noche UFC.

UFC will break new ground as the first sport to hold an event in the state-of-the-art Sphere in Las Vegas on Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024. The first-of-its-kind event has already received global attention and will be sponsored by Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh Season, one of the world’s biggest entertainment and sports festivals. UFC’s event at Sphere, titled Riyadh Season Noche UFC, will also celebrate Mexican Independence Day and honor the remarkable contributions of Mexican fighters to combat sports. (Photo: Business Wire)

Riyadh Season Noche UFC continues a great tradition in combat sports of holding big fights around Mexican Independence Day to celebrate and honor the remarkable contributions of Mexican fighters to combat sports. UFC will take the celebration to an unprecedented level as Riyadh Season Noche UFC will become the first sports event at Sphere, the revolutionary entertainment venue in Las Vegas.

Riyadh Season Noche UFC will utilize Sphere’s state-of-the-art audio and video capabilities to deliver a live experience never before witnessed in the history of sports. The venue’s next-generation technologies include the world’s highest resolution LED display that wraps up, over and around the audience, creating a fully immersive visual environment. The venue also features the world’s most advanced audio system, Sphere Immersive Sound, powered by HOLOPLOT, which delivers audio with unmatched clarity and precision to every guest.

“This will be one of the biggest sporting events of all time,” said UFC President and CEO Dana White. “What we’re going to pull off at Sphere will never be done again. This will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for sports fans. At the same time, this is going to be an incredible tribute to the Mexican people for their extraordinary contributions to combat sports. We’re thrilled that Turki Alalshikh and the Saudi General Entertainment Authority have stepped up to partner with us to make this the greatest event in the history of combat sports. Their participation shows just how massive the interest is from all over the world. Riyadh Season Noche UFC will be unforgettable.”

“I am happy to confirm Riyadh Season will be the sponsor for Noche UFC taking place on September 14, 2024,” said HE Turki Alalshikh, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the General Entertainment Authority (GEA). “This will be a milestone moment as it will be the first sporting event to take place at Sphere in Las Vegas. The UFC brand is recognized globally with its huge fanbase, and this aligns with our own vision for Riyadh Season to collaborate to create and stage world-class events.”

“The first sporting event at Sphere is a significant milestone not only for the venue, but also for live sports overall,” said Jim Dolan, Executive Chairman and CEO, Sphere Entertainment. “UFC has been a longtime partner across the MSG Family of Companies, and we look forward to making history with them once again and delivering an experience that leverages Sphere’s cutting-edge technologies to reimagine what UFC and combat sports can look like.”

BRANDED INTEGRATIONS AND ENTITLEMENTS

On fight night, Riyadh Season will have a fixed watermark displayed throughout the entire broadcast, from early prelims to the main card on Pay Per View. Riyadh Season integrations will also include high visibility placement inside the world-famous Octagon® and broadcast features throughout the main card, providing Riyadh Season with meaningful visibility before more than 700 million fans in 170 countries, as well as in an estimated 975 million households that receive UFC’s broadcasts around the world.

Beyond the Octagon and the global broadcast, UFC and Riyadh Season will collaborate on original content that will be distributed through UFC’s popular digital and social channels, which reach approximately 266 million users worldwide. Riyadh Season will also be featured on all event marketing materials, including event posters, promotional backdrops at pre- and post-fight press conferences, and more.

Details regarding tickets for Riyadh Season Noche UFC, as well as the bouts on the fight card, will be announced in coming weeks. Fans are advised to register their interest early via ufc.com/sphere to secure their tickets when available and to follow @UFC on social media for the latest updates on this event.

Riyadh Season, one of the world’s biggest entertainment and sports festivals, is held annually in the Saudi Arabian capital. Riyadh Season's fifth edition will kick off at the end of October, attracting visitors from around the world to Saudi Arabia's capital during the winter months. The Season offers a multitude of concerts, exhibitions, dining experiences, and unique entertainment events, with the participation of renowned celebrities and leading brands.

About UFC®

UFC® is the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization (MMA), with more than 700 million fans and approximately 266 million social media followers. The organization produces more than 40 live events annually in some of the most prestigious arenas around the world while broadcasting to over 900 million households across more than 170 countries. UFC’s athlete roster features the world’s best MMA athletes representing more than 80 countries. The organization’s digital offerings include UFC FIGHT PASS®, one of the world’s leading streaming services for combat sports. UFC is part of TKO Group Holdings (NYSE: TKO) and is headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada. For more information, visit UFC.com and follow UFC at Facebook.com/UFC and @UFC on X, Snapchat, Instagram, and TikTok: @UFC.

About Riyadh Season

Saudi Arabia's capital embraces one of the world's biggest entertainment events every year during winter. Since the launch of Riyadh Season 2019, the festival has welcomed visitors from all over the world to experience thousands of concerts, sporting events, dining experiences and other unique cultural events. Additional information on this season's rich calendar of events and experiences is available at https://riyadhseason.com.

About Sphere Entertainment

Sphere Entertainment Co. is a premier live entertainment and media company. The Company includes Sphere, a next-generation entertainment medium powered by cutting-edge technologies to redefine the future of entertainment. The first Sphere venue opened in Las Vegas in September 2023. In addition, the Company includes MSG Networks, which operates two regional sports and entertainment networks, MSG Network and MSG Sportsnet, as well as a direct-to-consumer and authenticated streaming product, MSG+, delivering a wide range of live sports content and other programming. More information is available at sphereentertainmentco.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240626469078/en/

Press Contacts:



UFC

Lenee Breckenridge, lbreckenridge@ufc.com

Chris Bellitti, CBellitti@ufc.com



Sphere

spherepr@thesphere.com

Source: UFC

FAQ

What is the significance of UFC 306 being rebranded to Riyadh Season Noche UFC?

UFC 306's rebranding to Riyadh Season Noche UFC marks the first time UFC has provided a sponsor with title partner status, highlighting the partnership with Riyadh Season.

When and where will the Riyadh Season Noche UFC event take place?

The Riyadh Season Noche UFC event will take place on September 14, 2024, at Sphere in Las Vegas.

What makes Sphere in Las Vegas a unique venue for the UFC event?

Sphere in Las Vegas features state-of-the-art technologies, including the world's highest resolution LED display and Sphere Immersive Sound system, offering an unparalleled live experience.

How will Riyadh Season be integrated into the UFC 306 broadcast?

Riyadh Season will have a fixed watermark throughout the broadcast and high visibility placement inside the Octagon and in promotional materials, reaching millions of viewers globally.

What is the expected global reach of the Riyadh Season Noche UFC event?

The event's broadcast is expected to reach over 700 million fans in 170 countries and an estimated 975 million households.