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Boxing, UFC and the beverage business target the same consumers
The beverage business is heavily advertising in boxing and the UFC, and Coke and Bud are leading the way
I wrote this article last week covering the fight business and the beverage business including all the new contracts between boxing and the UFC. You can check out the entire article here: http://voices.yahoo.com/beverage-boxing-ufc-fight-business-12466050.html?cat=14
Beverage companies are also capitalizing on the growing male audience for the UFC mixed martial arts fights. Bud Light is the beer of choice to advertise during fights as I’m noticing in all current televised fights; Xyiance is the official energy drink of the league. Cola-Cola is even joining in the action, starting with a seven figure sponsorship deal with UFC fighter and welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre as reported by Forbes.com . I saw these television commercials starring St-Pierre that running during UFC fights on FOX television stations. NOS also sponsors The Ultimate Fighter as I notice when I was watching the UFC reality show that follows fighters living in the same home that strive to get a UFC contract. You can even see the energy drink at the training sessions and dinner table. That’s great product placement!
This Beverage Business and Fight Business marriage makes good sense as I wrote about in the book Build Your Beverage Empire. Big companies like Budweiser, Coca-Cola and Corona beer can target the perfect demographic and speak to their interest on their terms. They can also sponsor superstars like Georges St-Pierre, known by every fight fan including myself, and not break the bank. Because the UFC is still growing in popularity large beverage companies can still get major presence for low dollars. In comparison, Pepsi snatched away the NFL rights from Coke for $160 million as reported by the Wall Street Journal. This is a far cry from the 7 figures paid to St-Pierre for commercials, sponsorship and appearances. I think the St-Pierre deal will go a longer way than even several Super Bowl commercials. It’s much more targeted, it concentrates in a growing category, energy drinks, instead of a flat category like soda, and it capitalizes on Mixed Martial Arts and the UFC, what I consider one of the fastest growing sports in history.