Sony Pictures Networks India Retains UFC Broadcast Rights; Stella Artois Innovates with Fine Art Marketing
In a significant move, Sony Pictures Networks India has secured an extended multi-year rights agreement with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), ensuring its exclusive media presence in India and the Indian subcontinent till 2028. This renewed association includes broadcasting 42 live UFC events, original programs, archive content, and the ‘Road to UFC’ tournament for Asia’s top MMA prospects. The deal also marks the first introduction of local language commentary in Tamil and Telugu.
Enhanced Broadcast Details and Expansion
The agreement encompasses television and digital media rights for a wide array of UFC events through 2028. This comprehensive coverage includes 42 UFC LIVE events annually, comprising 12 Pay-Per-View (PPV) and 30 Fight Night events. Sony Sports Network will continue to broadcast live the ‘win and advance’ tournament for Asia’s top MMA prospects, ROAD TO UFC.
The partnership extension allows Sony to sustain the exclusive coverage of live UFC events in English, Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu. This move caters to a larger audience base and enhances viewer engagement with expansive portfolio programming.
Stella Artois in the Realm of Fine Art
While UFC fans have something to cheer about, the Belgian beer brand, Stella Artois, dating back to 1326, has embarked on a unique journey with GUT, an innovative creative agency from Argentina. GUT has developed an algorithm that examines European paintings featuring people consuming alcohol and calculates the likelihood of the beverage being Stella Artois. Factors considered include the painting’s date, location, type of glass, color of the liquid, proximity to the original brewery, distribution reach of Artois, and potential competitors of the time.
Through this ingenious application of data analytics, GUT has positioned Stella Artois within the context of historical European art. The campaign implies that iconic artists like Manet and Van Gogh were ‘probably’ endorsing Stella Artois throughout the centuries. This creative marketing strategy leverages Stella Artois’ heritage and establishes an extraordinary connection between data analytics, fine art, and marketing. This can be viewed as a form of posthumous ‘celebrity endorsement’ from the world of art.
