TKO Group’s Takeover Weekend in Kansas City from 24-28 April will bring on board Casey’s as a sponsoring partner for its UFC, Professional Bull Riding (PBR) and WWE events.
By being an official partner of TKO Takeover Weekend, the convenience store chain will receive integrated brand promotion for PBR Knockout: PBR Teams Missouri vs. The World, UFC Fight Night: Machado Garry vs. Prates, and WWE RAW, all held in Kansas City, Missouri.
With all three events taking place at the T-Mobile Centre in Kansas City, the TKO Takeover Weekend represents one of the first synergies between TKO’s subsidiaries to grow all three products simultaneously.
Robby Miller, VP of UFC Global Partnerships, said: “Bringing UFC, WWE, and PBR together in one city over the same weekend is a milestone for TKO, and Casey’s is an ideal partner to help us highlight this achievement.
”UFC, WWE, and PBR are three powerhouse properties with massive, highly engaged fanbases and remarkably little audience duplication. Casey’s is tapping into the cultural impact of TKO and breaking ground for how brands can strategically activate with us to engage with fans and consumers.”
Casey’s will have prominent brand placement inside the UFC Octagon and in the WWE ring, as well as signage in the arena during PBR Knockout event, including on the bucking chutes and fencing.
In addition, Casey’s will collaborate with UFC, WWE, and PBR to engage with fans through original content that will be distributed through each brand’s digital and social channels.
The agreement also provides for further elements that will bring the partnership to life, including fan campaigns with notable WWE Superstars, in-arena activations, VIP hospitality, and more.
Tom Brennan, Chief Merchandising Offer at Casey’s, added: “Casey’s is all about delivering an exceptional guest experience and part of that is creating bold partnerships that engage our guests and fans.
“We are thrilled to be an Official Partner of TKO Takeover Weekend, an unstoppable force bringing this region a never-seen-before trio of events. Nothing beats watching UFC, WWE or PBR with your favourite Casey’s pizza, and we’re excited to show fans what can happen when all of this comes together in one epic weekend.”
Through its acquisition of PBR, alongside OnLocation last year, TKO hopes that the global audiences of UFC and WWE will help bring new fans to the bull racing promotions events in the coming years.
The TKO Takeover Weekend is one initiative the sports combat conglomerate is putting in place to achieve this, whilst the company is also looking to enhance the ad revenue of the UFC, WWE and PBR with the addition of Casey’s.
