The challenge
UFC produces one of the most visceral, fast-moving sports experiences in the world. Every event generates enormous amounts of performance data, historical matchups and fighter statistics.
But much of that data remained underused. Manual analytics workflows slowed the path from raw information to broadcast-ready insight.
As audience expectations for data-driven storytelling grew, a clear imbalance emerged: the fights were scaling. Manual insight generation was not.
The stakes
When action outpaces analysis, the fan experience takes a hit. Labor intensive workflows leave analysts wrangling data instead of narrating the fight. That drag slows insight to a crawl during live competition. And when contextual insights can’t keep pace, fans disengage—creating an opening for UFC’s biggest competitors.
UFC needed a faster, smarter way to turn raw data into real time insight.
Grant Norris-Jones
Head of Global Partnerships at TKO
“
This partnership with IBM is one of the most significant milestones for UFC and a game changer for how fans will experience our sport. ”
The game plan
The organization partnered with IBM to build the UFC Insights Engine—an AI powered platform that generates unique insights and advanced analysis on demand. It also lets UFC editors mine a massive library of fight data using natural language.
The result is a decisive momentum shift that turns raw data into a strategic, story-driven edge.
The UFC Insights Engine brings high-impact, creative storylines to broadcast and digital channels, accelerates the path from data to insight and significantly expands content output capacity.
UFC will always thrive on intensity and spectacle. With AI-powered analytics, the organization can now deliver insights as powerful as the fights themselves. In a real‑time environment, lag is a liability—whether you’re in the fight game, retail or insurance. UFC shows that scaling performance without scaling interpretation creates friction. Close that gap, and speed becomes strategy, insight becomes advantage.
As complexity rises and timelines shrink, risk takes different forms across the C-suite. This persona series surfaces the pressures behind each role—stakes, blind spots, and tradeoffs shaping critical decisions. Complete the form below to access insight grounded in the realities of your role.
Seeing risk clearly from every seat in the C-suite
What can golf teach you about AI?
By combining proprietary historical data with the latest agentic AI, the Masters and IBM have developed a stellar digital fan experience. But it’s more than a sports story. It’s a showcase of what’s possible when innovation pairs with purpose. A digital platform that shows organizations how to apply AI in ways that matter to them. How to use what’s uniquely theirs to drive deeper connections, build lasting loyalty and deliver performance.
A future built on Wimbledon’s glorious past. Advantage: AI.
When the Wimbledon Championships needed to modernize operations without compromising 149 years of tradition, leadership called on IBM. With AI-powered innovation such as tools that turn match data into timely insights, fans engage more with the action unfolding on the court. Stakeholder relationships can grow stronger, and the digital foundation can support the next generation of tennis.