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.
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.
