UFC star Conor McGregor partners with online investment platform 24option
UFC athlete Conor McGregor has agreed a new sponsorship deal with online trading platform 24option in a deal which adds to the company’s growing sports sponsorship portfolio and illustrates the Irishman’s global appeal to brands.
McGregor is now the highest grossing athlete in the UFC
McGregor has reportedly agreed to a six-month partnership with 24option and will feature in promotional material for the brand.
Emma Morris, partnership director at 24option, said: “We are delighted to announce Conor McGregor 'the Notorious' as our partner. We decided to partner with Conor because of his strong character.
"He is fearless and strong. He has one of the strongest sporting characters’ traits in our most desired markets. He is fierce and a true fighting champion and his fame is due to his strength, perseverance and character as an athlete. We share the same traits."
The deal sees McGregor join 24option other sports sponsorships which included former tennis world number one Boris Becker and Serie A champions Juventus.
Partnering with the 28 year-old featherweight champion is a fitting move for a company focused on helping its customers generate wealth given McGregor’s reputation for flaunting his own wealth which his charisma and success within the sport has afforded him.
Last year the Dublin-born fighter’s two PPV fights accounted for more than 25% of the UFC’s total pay-per-view sales in 2015 and he is currently the highest paid athlete in the organisation. He status has continued to grow since then with his headline bout against Eddie Alvarez at Madison Square Garden on 12 November already breaking the all-time gate record for the iconic venue.
Discussing the brand appeal of McGregor, Neil Hopkins, director at M&C Saatchi Sport and Entertainment, said: “Conor McGregor is the first UFC star to truly cross over into the mainstream on an international scale.
“For us working with UFC’s major partner Reebok on a global basis, we have seen the popularity of the sport expand in parallel with his profile. His personality and ability to make news are more akin to the heavyweight boxers of the past, something which has become symptomatic of boxing’s issues as fans migrate to UFC.
“From a commercial point of view, McGregor is making all the right moves from appearing in the latest Call of Duty game to having Cristiano Ronaldo visit him in his gym, all of which he chronicles on social media to millions of followers.”
McGregor’s brand worth will likely continue to grow following the WME-IMG $4bn takeover of the UFC and their plans to further elevate the popularity of the company on a global scale. In a statement following the takeover co-chief executives Ari Emmanuel & Patrick Whitesell, said they would mobilise all WME-IMG sports and entertainment assets available in its international network to grow the sport.
24option join a growing list of brands who have signed deals with McGregor including sports performance brand BSN, Reebok, Monster Energy and Budweiser.