UFC To Launch Live-Betting For Sports Bettors

• UFC Event Centre will be the live betting product released by the UFC and IMG Arena.
• This new platform will feature numerous wagering options along with all UFC affiliated logos, pictures, and full biographies on all fighters.
• This product was made to be used within other applications and sportsbooks that fans use already.

NEW YORK – The UFC announced on Thursday that they will be launching a live-sports betting feature for sports bettors and fans to take advantage of. UFC Event Centre will be the first-ever live wagering product introduced by the sport. Due to the popularity of live betting in other sports, the UFC decided to partner with IMG Arena, both of whom are part of Endeavor Group Holdings Inc., to come up with this new platform.

“The UFC Event Centre and its official data feed will be a game-changer for how UFC fans engage with our events through sportsbooks and gaming operators,” said Dana White, president of the UFC. “We have the most passionate, die-hard fans of any sport, and they’re going to love the option to place bets live during a fight. Betting operators are also going to love this product because, unlike other sports, UFC has no offseason. The action will be non-stop for fans and sportsbook operators.”

UFC Event Centre will allow bettors over 50 wagers per fight, with 20 of these bets being new and continuously updated as the fight goes on. Common odds that will be seen within this new product will be things such as how many strikes a fighter will land, how many attempted take-downs will occur, how much time fighters will be on the mat rather than upright, etc. The list of options for wager types is endless as so many little things can happen during one bout.

“In-game betting is the fastest-growing part of the sports-gaming industry,” said chief operating officer of the UFC, Lawrence Epstein. “Some of the stuff we’re doing is stuff that hasn’t been done with respect to UFC in the past.”

In 2016, the UFC had almost $4 billion in wagers and 92% of all bets placed on the sport take place before the event is set to start. It is the hope that live betting will not only increase the number of wagers, but also an increase in their fanbase. Right now, their key demographic is males 21-44 but they’d like to expand beyond that. This new type of gambling will attract more bettors to put their money down on UFC fights and the potential for financial gain for the UFC is limitless.

People that were once disinterested in the sport may now want to get in on the action. That is the goal for the UFC and sportsbooks everywhere, to capitalize on the lucrative sports betting market with this new introduction of live-betting.

News tags: Dana White | Endeavor Group Holdings | IMG Arena | Lawrence Epstein | live betting | UFC | UFC Event Centre