LAS VEGAS, Oct. 31, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The Ultimate Fighting Championship® (UFC®) is partnering with Ticketmaster, a Live Nation Entertainment Company (NYSE: LYV), to create the official ticket resale marketplace for UFC. Fans now have the ability to buy and sell tickets to UFC live events via a secure resale platform powered by Ticketmaster technology.
The Official Resale Marketplace of the Ultimate Fighting Championship by Ticketmaster provides fans a trusted online destination where tickets for select events can be bought and sold safely. For tickets at select venues, the marketplace offers Ticketmaster's barcode transfer technology where tickets fans purchase from resellers are verified by Ticketmaster for authenticity and then reissued with new barcodes for the buyer, guaranteeing the validity of the tickets. This unique, proven solution continues to generate overwhelmingly positive results for fans from a number of high-profile Ticketmaster clients, including the NFL, NBA and USTA.
"UFC is the best live event experience in the world and by partnering with Ticketmaster, our fans have a reliable, quick and convenient way to buy and sell UFC tickets," UFC President Dana White said. "We are really excited to continue working with Ticketmaster to make buying and selling UFC tickets easier than ever."
"UFC is one of the most forward thinking and fan-focused sports organizations in the world, and they understand that the resale market can be done better, so they are working with us to deliver the Official Resale Marketplace of UFC," said Jared Smith, chief operating officer of Ticketmaster. "Our highest priority is to deliver the most fan-friendly ticket purchasing experience in the industry. By utilizing our technology to provide secure, convenient access to tickets, we're able to do just that for UFC fans."
Fans searching for tickets to UFC live events, including UFC's sold-out Dec. 8 event at KeyArena in Seattle, can access the UFC Official Resale Marketplace at www.TicketsNow.com/UFC. For more information or current fight news, visit www.ufc.com. All bouts live and subject to change.
About the Ultimate Fighting Championship®
Universally recognized for its action-packed, can't-miss events that have sold out some of the biggest arenas and stadiums across the globe, the UFC® is the world's premier mixed martial arts (MMA) organization. Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, headquartered in Las Vegas and with offices in London, Toronto and Beijing, UFC produces more than 30 live events annually and is the largest Pay-Per-View event provider in the world. In 2011, the UFC burst into the mainstream with a landmark seven-year broadcast agreement with FOX Sports Media Group. The agreement includes four live events broadcast on the FOX network annually, with additional fight cards and thousands of hours of programming broadcast on FOX properties FX and FUEL TV. This also includes the longest-running sports reality show on television, The Ultimate Fighter®, which now airs on FX.
In addition to its reach on FOX, UFC programming is broadcast in over 149 countries and territories, to nearly one billion homes worldwide, in 20 different languages. UFC content is also distributed commercially in the United States to bars and restaurants through Joe Hand Promotions, in English throughout Canada via Premium Sports Broadcasting Inc. and in French throughout Quebec via Interbox. The UFC also connects with tens of millions of fans through its website, UFC.com, as well as social media sites Facebook and Twitter. UFC President Dana White is considered one of the most accessible and followed executives in sports, with over two million followers on Twitter. Ancillary UFC businesses include best-selling DVDs, an internationally distributed magazine, UFC.TV offering live event broadcasts and video on demand around the world, the best-selling UFC Undisputed® video game franchise distributed by THQ, and a new franchise in development with EA, UFC GYM®, UFC Fight Club affinity program, UFC Fan Expo® festivals, branded apparel and trading cards.
About Live Nation Entertainment
Live Nation Entertainment is the world's leading live entertainment and ecommerce company, comprised of four market leaders: Ticketmaster.com, Live Nation Concerts, Front Line Management Group and Live Nation Network. Ticketmaster.com is the global event ticketing leader and one of the world's top five ecommerce sites, with almost 27 million monthly unique visitors. Live Nation Concerts produces over 22,000 shows annually for more than 2,300 artists globally. Front Line is the world's top artist management company, representing over 250 artists. These businesses power Live Nation Network, the leading provider of entertainment marketing solutions, enabling nearly 800 advertisers to tap into the 200 million consumers Live Nation delivers annually through its live event and digital platforms. For additional information, visit www.livenation.com/investors.
SOURCE The Ultimate Fighting Championship
