TikTok strikes deal with UFC to live-stream content

TikTok will live-stream content from the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) on its short-form video app as part of a multi-year partnership with the mixed martial arts organization, the Chinese-owned company said on Thursday.

The financial details of the deal were not disclosed.

The agreement includes weekly UFC livestreams that will feature behind-the-scenes footage and interactions with athletes, TikTok said in a blog post here.

UFC is the third-most-popular sports league on TikTok with more than 6.3 million followers. The partnership will kick off on Feb. 20 with promotional content on the UFC match “Blaydes vs. Lewis.”

The move marks another step by TikTok in generating content around the sports industry after it partnered in October with London-based esports organisation Tundra.

The short-video app, known for dancing videos that go viral among teenagers, faces scrutiny in the United States as the Biden administration reviews former President Donald Trump’s efforts to address potential security risks from Chinese tech companies.