Scope

• Sponsoring strategy
• Internationalization strategy
• Market & company analysis

Context & Problem

This work was done in the context of a final oral presentation for my current Master’s degree. The goal was to find strategic partnerships with a company of our choice, in groups of 4. We chose ONE Championship because we really thought that we could find a great idea aligned with their objective of becoming more international, and that the specific positioning of ONE Championship has the power to revolutionize MMA and disrupt the UFC monopoly. The core challenge here was to find a partner that is powerful in North America and Europe, aligned with the athlete-centered view of ONE Championship, and adapted for coherent activations.

Understanding & Insights

We understood that one of the current priorities for ONE was to expand outside Asia. They already started this process with, for example, a contract with Amazon Prime for streaming in the U.S., or even a sponsorship deal with Monster Energy. But to enter the North American or European market, ONE has to highlight its differentiation point, which is the wellness, traditional, and athlete-centered vision. A partner that would be able to help ONE grow, create storytelling for the athletes, and build proximity between them and the public in order to compete with major players such as the UFC or PFL.

What Is WHOOP?

That’s why we chose WHOOP as a strategic partner for ONE Championship. WHOOP is a wearable performance tracker designed to measure strain, recovery, and sleep, helping elite athletes understand how their bodies actually respond to training and competition. Backed by and worn by global icons such as Cristiano Ronaldo, LeBron James, or Michael Phelps, WHOOP is very strong in North America and Europe and is looking to expand into new markets.

Why It’s Relevant

The partnership truly shares common values that allow growth for every stakeholder. WHOOP is an athlete-centered company, as ONE Championship is, which would allow both of them to conquer new territories while keeping their core identity.

For ONE Championship:

• Help reach new markets (U.S., Europe) and gain networks there
• Reinforce storytelling and strengthen the link between the public and fighters
• Reinforce the wellness image and differentiate from competitors
• Bring more resources to develop the activity

For WHOOP:

• Immediately reach the Asian market with strong exposure and network potential
• Reach new sports, diversify, and collaborate with new athletes
• Associate their image with strong values (respect, wellness, tradition)

For the Industry:

• Prevent injuries and develop athlete tracking
• Upgrade the fan experience and encourage wellness
• Promote a culture of wellness, moving from a “show” image of combat sports to a healthy, athlete-centered industry

Type of Activations

This partnership allows mixing branded activations with real relevance and improvement for athletes and fans. WHOOP technology truly has the power to combine athlete health, new entertainment for streaming technology, and proximity between fans and athletes. Here are a few examples of activations that would fit perfectly:

• as a fan, being able to watch training data of our favorite fighter during camp
• upgrading the streaming experience by displaying BPM on screen thanks to WHOOP technology worn during weigh-ins or warm-ups
• WHOOP podcasts with ONE Championship athletes discussing health in combat sports and Asia.

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