DraftKings is ready to promote out a UFC daily fantasy contest with a assured prize pool of USD100,000, demonstrating the expansion in its blended martial arts product this yr.
USD100,000 for MMA, once more
DraftKings ran one different contest with a prize pool of six figures primarily based on MMA, again in January. That contest had a buy-in of USD200.
Saturday’s MMA contest — primarily based on UFC 190, headlined by the title combat between Ronda Rousey and Bethe Correia — additionally ensures USD100,000, however this time across the entry price is simply USD3. The competition includes a most of 38,300 entries, and it seems to be on observe to fill nicely earlier than the primary combat on the cardboard takes place.
DraftKings even added a second contest on the three-dollar worth level primarily based on the recognition of its principal contest, with one other USD20,000 assured in that one. Greater than USD200,000 will probably be assured throughout all DraftKings’ MMA contests.
Progress for MMA
DraftKings’ DFS for MMA hasn’t skilled explosive progress, however it’s clear that DraftKings has grown the vertical over the primary half of the yr, after rolling out its product in January.
Whereas these launch contests featured huge prize swimming pools and excessive curiosity, the contests obtained smaller instantly after that, earlier than beginning to develop over the remainder of 2015.
A robust summer time of UFC occasions has doubtless additionally raised curiosity in DFS. As an illustration, final week’s UFC on FOX 16 hit a peak viewership of three.8 million viewers. UFC 189, a pay-per-view occasion, seems to have surpassed 1 million buys.
Most of the greatest websites in DFS — together with FanDuel — have stayed out of the MMA vertical. That has largely left it within the arms of DraftKings, Kountermove (a DFS web site targeted on fight sportsbook), and Draftkings (which has its sights set on a bigger piece of the DFS pie.)
UFC and Fox partnerships
A variety of that progress could be attributed to the UFC’s partnership with DraftKings, which has clearly created extra publicity to the DraftKings platform with MMA followers. Along with promotion on UFC’s media platforms, DraftKings is seen on nearly each televised card as one of many sponsors showing within the Octagon.
And the publicity for DraftKings and MMA is simply going to extend. This week, DraftKings acquired a USD300 million spherical of funding, led by Fox Sports activities. As a part of that deal, DraftKings will even reportedly decide to USD250 million in advert spend on Fox properties over the approaching years.
Meaning we’re solely more likely to see extra promotion of DraftKings’ MMA product on TV and in coordination with UFC occasions, as Fox is the UFC’s broadcast companion, when the UFC playing cards aren’t on PPV.
Whereas we could not see the kind of exponential progress for MMA DFS as we now have seen for golf this yr, clearly it’s a vertical that hasn’t reached its peak.