UPDATED: UFC Sponsor Update: Harley-Davidson Official; Budweiser Coming Soon?; Xyience Files for Bankruptcy
January 22, 2008
Over the weekend Harley-Davidson officially announced its exclusive motorcycle sponsorship of the UFC and WEC. Key quotes:
“This is the first major worldwide sports sponsorship for Harley-Davidson outside the motorcycle/automotive category,†said Harley-Davidson Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer Mark-Hans Richer. “We see our brand embodied in these fighters: young, aggressive, hard working individuals who cut against the grain.â€â€œLike Harley-Davidson, UFC is a true American passion that transcends cultures and languages, and shares incredible and growing popularity in the United States, Europe and around the world. Harley-Davidson is a powerhouse brand, we are proud to call it our exclusive UFC and WEC motorcycle sponsor and to have the historic Harley-Davidson Bar & Shield in the Octagon,†said UFC President Dana White.
While Harley-Davidson will occupy the center of the canvas, sources continue to tell MMAPayout.com that a deal between the UFC and Budweiser is believed to be eminent with the King of Beers set to take its place on the canvas as soon as April.
Additionally, this morning the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported that Xyience has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. MMAPayout.com will have further details on this story in the coming days.
Even More Trouble for Xyience
December 3, 2007
Xyience fired much of it’s sales staff last week according to an article on BevNET.com. Key quote:
Xyience, the Las Vegas-based maker of Xenergy, had seen fast expansion as a result of a sponsorship deal with the mixed martial arts league UFC and its popular television show “The Ultimate Fighter.†But this week the company notified much of its approximately 70-member sales force that it would be firing them due to financial setbacks, and this has led to speculation it would soon file for bankruptcy.
This represents the latest in a series of bad press the company has recently received. The report comes on the heels of the company’s recent $12 million capital infusion, which was reportedly funded by the Fertitta brothers, and a three-year extension of its sponsorship with the UFC. At the time the funding and extension were announced, CEO Adam Frank said, “We believe that the combination of new financing and the extension of our UFC(R) relationship firmly positions the company for success as we embark on a worldwide expansion of the XYIENCE and Xenergy brands.”
