UFC brings the energy of live events to digital with authentic, up-close content experiences

The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is the largest mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company in the world. Based in Las Vegas, Nevada, UFC has produced more than 500 events worldwide to date. As with many sports in 2020, UFC had its share of hard decisions to make. With live programming as a core revenue stream and broadcast obligations to fulfill, UFC had to find innovative ways to keep fans engaged.

David Shaw, SVP of International and Content manages the global strategy for UFC, including event management, event production and distribution to broadcasters, TV and Pay-Per View deals, and more. Here, he shared the challenges and opportunities that 2020 brought for UFC, as well as the content strategies that captured the audience’s attention and loyalty, even under drastically different circumstances.

Guiding new modes of operation with established brand values

Under President Dana White’s leadership, UFC is a brand with strong established values. When regulations put a pause on live events, UFC turned to their core maxims to adapt quickly. Because health & safety principles are second nature, the company was able to envision new protocols to protect fans, fighters, and their staff.

With all the variables surrounding live events meticulously considered and under control, location was a major factor in UFC’s success model. The Apex, a newly built production facility meant for live studio productions became central to the operational plan, along with social distancing measures, testing protocols, and reduced staffing.

With the plan in place, UFC was set to tackle the next challenge: getting fans to experience UFC remotely.

Offering meaningful content to stay true to the experience

As fans and followers consume more and more content at home, UFC viewership reached historic highs. As fans were in a different state than normal, the team focused on delivering meaningful and comprehensive content to their fans when they needed it the most. “It was a priority for us to tap into and leverage social in this way,” Shaw said.

UFC resurrected archival content that would resonate in a campaign called Ultimate Fighter Month. Ultimate Fighter Month highlighted key seasons and eras in UFC history, underscoring the true value of their catalogue, tailored to audiences at home. Shaw further explained how UFC’s social media strategy rose to prominence in this distanced world.

“We felt we were losing a crucial connection point, which was the live audience,” Shaw said. “Social media had to step up and fill the gap for our fanbase, irrespective of where they were.”

Campaigns like Ultimate Fighter Month expanded UFC’s social content offering, but there was still an absence well-felt in the community: the unmatched energy of a live event. To keep that excitement alive amid changing regulations and new travel restrictions, UFC had to make their content plans even more flexible.

“The nature of the social media world is that you’re always on,” Shaw said. “That didn’t change, but our content and promotional plans changed all the time, even more so than normal.”

UFC’s goal was to offer a new digital experience that was akin to being in an arena. And while not quite the same, they did accomplish something big.

The shows that could give viewers back the sense of the true fan experience came to the forefront.

• Fight Island, established as a “safe zone” for fighters during events, kept fans engaged and guessing about the next location
• Quick Hits with Laura Sanko featured in-arena interviews as fighters walk out
• Green Room’s backstage interviewers kept fans hyped up as they watched from home

Bringing fans closer to fighters with global and local strategies

One of the main drivers of engagement for UFC at this time? The fighters themselves, and the cultural impact their stories have across the globe. Social media made it possible for fans to get a personal look into the lives of athletes and connect in a more authentic way.

“The roots of our sport originate in different communities all over the world,” Shaw said. “And the reach of MMA today allows us to connect with different people globally. Our true success is because of the athletes. There’s nothing like having a local star to build interest in a specific region.”

UFC’s content strategy uses the power of worldwide reach to deliver market-specific content experiences that will really resonate. David shared how in every region, there’s the balance of adhering to the brand principles and storyline guidelines dictated by the production team, but there is so much to be gained in regional content too.

Turning challenges into takeaways for the future

With the give and take of global and local content strategies working in parallel, one thing is never compromised. “What might change is language, but consistent quality and standards are maintained from event to event, irrespective of location,” Shaw said. In the changing environment, this commitment to quality led them to reimagine their broadcast-quality shows.

Shows like “Inside the Octagon”, where commentators John Gooden and Dan Hardy provide in-depth analysis and preview top featured fighters, still had to go on, even without access to production houses. Shaw explained how UFC could deliver on the exemplary production quality they’re known for and keep the momentum going for the future:

“We took concepts that already work on traditional television, applied them digital, and distributed them to an audience across social. In the future, even when we’re allowed to travel again, we can now be smarter about production because we have the strategy in place to produce remotely.”

UFC anticipates that 2021 will largely mirror what they dealt with in 2020. They plan to keep their mode of operation, while growing the success of the shows they’ve been creating.