UFC® and PokerStars Team Up for First Official Poker Sponsorship

LAS VEGAS and ONCHAN, Isle of Man, December 21, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

PokerStars and UFC partner for UFC^® 232: JONES vs. GUSTAFSSON 2 in Las Vegas on December 29  

UFC^®, the world's premier mixed martial arts organization and PokerStars, the flagship poker brand of The Stars Group and the largest poker site in the world, today announced a new marketing sponsorship.  

Under the terms of the agreement, PokerStars becomes UFC's first-ever 'Official Poker Partner', creating a new sponsorship category. PokerStars will have a branded presence inside the world-famous Octagon^® at UFC's final Pay-Per-View event of 2018, UFC^® 232: JONES vs. GUSTAFSSON 2, which takes place from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday, December 29. Additional partnership activations for the event will include the integration of PokerStars branding during UFC's telecasts, as well as digital and social media, and other promotional opportunities.

"We're excited that PokerStars has joined our roster of global partners and has helped us create a new sponsorship category for our final event of 2018," said Paul Asencio, UFC Senior Vice President, Global Partnerships. "This agreement lays the foundation to work together with PokerStars in the future to grow our respective customer bases in key markets."

"UFC and PokerStars have a lot in common," said Christopher Coyne, Chief Marketing Officer of Stars Interactive, a division of The Stars Group. "We want to thrill and entertain, both in our products and customer experience. UFC is the world's leading MMA promoter with millions of fans and followers around the globe, while PokerStars is the heavyweight of online poker. It's a classic combination."

Through UFC's worldwide programming distribution, PokerStars' brand has the potential to reach 1.1 billion TV households in more than 160 countries and territories in 40 different languages.

For further information, please contact press@pokerstars.com.

About UFC^®
UFC^® is a premium global sports brand and the largest Pay-Per-View event provider in the world. Celebrating its 25th Anniversary in 2018, UFC boasts more than 284 million fans worldwide and has produced over 450 events in 24 countries since its inception in 1993. Acquired in 2016 by global sports, entertainment and fashion leader Endeavor (formerly WME | IMG), together with strategic partners Silver Lake Partners and KKR, UFC is headquartered in Las Vegas with a network of employees around the world. UFC produces more than 40 live events annually that consistently sell out some of the most prestigious arenas around the globe, while programming is broadcast in over 160 countries and territories to 1.1 billion TV households worldwide in 40 different languages. UFC FIGHT PASS®, a digital subscription service, delivers exclusive live events, thousands of fights on-demand and original content to fans around the world. For more information, visit UFC.com and follow UFC at Facebook.com/UFC, Twitter, Snapchat and Instagram: @UFC.

About PokerStars
PokerStars operates the world's most popular online poker sites, serving the global poker community. Since it launched in 2001, PokerStars has become the first choice of players all over the world, with more daily tournaments than anywhere else and with the best online security. More than 182 billion hands have been dealt on PokerStars, which is more than any other site.

The Stars Group owns or licenses gaming and related consumer businesses and brands, including PokerStars, PokerStars Casino, BetStars, Full Tilt, Sky Bet, Sky Vegas, Sky Casino, Sky Bingo, Sky Poker and BetEasy as well as live poker tour and event brands, including the PokerStars Players No Limit Hold'em Championship, European Poker Tour, PokerStars Caribbean Adventure, Latin American Poker Tour, Asia Pacific Poker Tour, PokerStars Festival and PokerStars MEGASTACK. The Stars Group is one of the world's most licensed online gaming operators with its subsidiaries collectively holding licenses or approvals in 21 jurisdictions throughout the world, including in Europe, Australia, and the Americas.

Play Responsibly!  For more information on responsible gaming please visit our website at http://www.pokerstars.com/about/responsible-gaming/ .  

Rebecca McAdam Willets, press@pokerstars.com