Sports gambling and technology company DraftKings and the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) announced today their plans to launch a UFC-focused iteration of DraftKings’ “Reignmakers.”
Expanding Partnership into Blockchain
The new iteration of gamified digital collectibles with a focus on UFC will offer fans of the professional fight league to collect their favorite UFC fighters and use their collections to compete in games and win prizes. Both partners expect the first season of Reignmakers UFC non-fungible token (NFT)-based games to launch later in the year.
Excited to expand the partnership with DraftKings “to incorporate UFC into their highly anticipated Reignmakers gamified NFT collection,” UFC senior vice president of Global Consumer Products Tracey Bleczinski outlined all the credentials of the new UFC-focused Reignmakers iteration.
“Reignmakers UFC will be a unique, innovative opportunity to create fan engagement that combines DraftKings’ expertise in digital sports entertainment with pioneering technology that features hundreds of UFC athletes, including some of the biggest names in the sport.”
Tracey Bleczinski, SVP, Global Consumer Products, UFC
DraftKings and the UFC joined forces in March 2021, when the Boston-based gaming operator became UFC’s first-ever Official Sportsbook and Daily Fantasy Partner” in the US and Canada and the new agreement expands their collaboration into the blockchain space in times when the UFC is ramping up its sales of fans memorabilia. The partners also intend to merge collectability with event-based benefits.
Outlining what “a tremendous collaborator” UFC has been over the years, DraftKings Marketplace’s senior vice president of Product Operations Beth Beiriger was delighted for the parties to deepen their relationship through DraftKings’ latest installment within the Reignmakers gamified digital collectibles franchise.
“Fight fans are already among the most engaged audiences, and we see these immersive technologies as bolstering the unique sports entertainment ecosystem we provide for consumers while also rewarding their undeniable passion.”
Beth Beiriger, SVP, Product Operations, DraftKings Marketplace
Rewarded for Corresponding UFC Event
Collection of NFTs of fighters will begin ahead of the official launch through DraftKings’ auctions and drops taking place in “Heatwave Series” based around the UFC’s schedule this summer and starting with UFC276 on July 2, Adesanya vs Cannonier.
The UFC iteration of the Reignmakers game, currently under development, will feature functionalities related to missions, achievements, level-ups, leaderboards, and other game mechanics, while the inaugural collection of fighter NFTs will give collectors rewards related to corresponding UFC events.
Rewards will be based on the utility of the NFT and will take the form of entries into special daily fantasy contests offering cash prizes, custom merchandise and others. UFC is giving DraftKings Marketplace access to over 500 athlete intellectual properties (IPs) on the active roster to choose for the Reignmakers UFC collection.
DraftKings Marketplace will drop the UFC collections in tiers based on their scarcity, including entry-level NFTs for a mainstream accessible experience, while Reignmakers UFC NFTs will be traded within the company’s secondary market.