Poker Stars forms partnership with the UFC

The rise of sports betting has led to partnerships or sponsorships between gambling operators and the professional sports leagues. The National Basketball Association recently crafted a data partnership with MGM Resorts. The UFC recently linked up with a Poker site by the name of PokerStars.

"We're excited that PokerStars has joined our roster of global partners and has helped us create a new sponsorship category for our final event of 2018," said Paul Asencio, UFC Senior Vice President, Global Partnerships. "This agreement lays the foundation to work together with PokerStars in the future to grow our respective customer bases in key markets."

"UFC and PokerStars have a lot in common," said Christopher Coyne, Chief Marketing Officer of Stars Interactive, a division of The Stars Group.

"We want to thrill and entertain, both in our products and customer experience. UFC is the world's leading MMA promoter with millions of fans and followers around the globe, while PokerStars is the heavyweight of online poker. It's a classic combination."