The UFC said it will begin digitally inserting sponsor logos onto its Octagon mats during televised matches using technology from 4D Sight.
The initiative is designed to create local broadcast sponsorship opportunities to raise revenue.
The first logo sponsor will be Stake.com, a cryptocurrency and sportsbooks company and UFC’s official betting partners in Latin America and Asia.
Stake.com’s logo will appear during the UFC Fight Pass Spanish-language Latin American broadcast of UFC 278 on Saturday, August 20.
"UFC is a global brand that has become one of the most-sought–after marketing platforms in all of sports," said Paul Asencio, UFC senior VP of Global Partnerships. "4D Sight’s technology will now allow us to localize the brand exposure to meet the needs of our partners, while creating greater relevance and engagement locally with our viewers."
4D Sight’s cloud based, computer vision technology enables sports leagues and broadcasters to seamlessly display static and dynamic brand images inside the field of play.
"Currently, there’s a lot of tech out there to try to shoehorn in brands that want their logo digitally blown up on screen during a big sports event," said Erhan Ciris, founder and CEO of 4D Sight. "The issue is, the quality control isn’t there with constant things like glitching and screen-tear when anyone on screen happens to be in the vicinity of a logo. What we’ve really done is create a way to improve the viewer experience, by presenting branding opportunities that are native but non-intrusive for the viewer." ■
