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Boxing 2.0: Dana White’s Masterplan Deciphered
March 13, 2025 | Edition #05
Hey, there!
When Dana White and Turki Alalshikh joined forces to launch TKO's boxing venture, the industry took notice. This powerhouse partnership signaled a seismic shift in the sports landscape, ushering in new players with deep pockets and influence. For brands, it's adapt or perish.
One brand that saw this shift coming is Proximo Spirits, positioning itself at the forefront of innovative sports marketing. We sat down with Seth Yassky, Head of Partnerships, to uncover the secrets behind their success. So, in this edition, we'll explore how the evolving sports landscape is reshaping brand strategies and reveal key takeaways for forward-thinking marketers.
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Today’s TLDR:
💪 Dana White’s Plans to Replicate Octagon Success Inside the Ring
🎯 How Proximo is Winning the Fight For Fan Attention
📖 The stories shaping the industry (and the lessons we learned this week)
Let’s dive in. 🚀
251 | UFC earned $251M in sponsorship revenue in 2024 |
Dana White has a history of turning struggling sports into billion-dollar businesses. Now, he’s betting big on boxing. It was already on his radar for the past couple of years, but this decisive step toward a globalized boxing league with a UFC-like corporate model is part of a larger trend in the sports industry itself.
Backed by Saudi Arabia’s Sela, the entertainment wing of PIF, this venture aims to disrupt traditional boxing with a UFC-inspired model. And, UFC's jaw-dropping success story has kept brands on their toes for this fledgling venture.
📈 In 2016, Endeavor purchased UFC for $4.1B.
🔝 Currently, TKO Holdings, with UFC and WWE under its wing, is valued at $12B.
✨ TKO’s projected 2025 revenue stands at $3B.
By adding boxing to its portfolio, TKO isn’t just expanding its content slate—it’s boosting its negotiating power. With UFC, WWE, and now a revamped boxing league under one roof, TKO’s pursuit of $1B+ in media rights deals could make it one of the most influential players in global sports entertainment.
Regardless of his frequent diatribe against the ‘corruption’ plaguing the organization, in boxing, White saw an untapped potential – an opportunity to float a complimentary league (or competitor) to provide an alternate model. The new boxing venture is yet to announce its name but it has already identified the goals in sight.
“I want to break the sport to pieces and rebuild it from the ground up,” said White, in the press conference, gesturing his finger to the ground. What will the next structure of this nameless league look like? Here are some indications:
✅ White plans to bring 150-160 boxers who, in his opinion, are talented but ‘have no notoriety’ and ‘make no money’.
✅ White seeks to remodel boxing like UFC – different weight classes, each with its own ranking system, a title belt, and a champion.
✅ Boxers will get pay-per-view deals alongside kickbacks from merchandise, video games, and any ancillary business built off the brand.
In a nutshell, White wants to replicate the UFC model in boxing. In last year’s earnings call, TKO COO Mark Shapiro revealed that they expect to bring in $10M+ in annual revenue. With Saudi Arabia’s PIF bankrolling this venture via SELA, the fund is cementing itself as a dominant force in global sports investment. It’s one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, as you can see in the graph below.
The TKO-fronted boxing venture is part of this broader change in the sports industry. A ripple effect of that is the increasing number of sports tournaments.
🏈 NFL is planning eight international tournaments.
🏆 NCAA expanded the College Football Playoff to 12 teams.
⛳️ LIV Golf hosts 14 tournaments yearly alongside the PGA Tour’s calendar.
🎯 TGL, the tech-driven golf league founded by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy, is also vying for fan attention.
The takeaway? Leagues and brands must rethink distribution, sponsorship, and fan engagement to thrive in this fragmented market.
The fusion of sports, entertainment, and media is accelerating rapidly, allowing huge opportunities for companies that are willing to be agile and adapt. Those who don’t will be left behind. Dana White’s recent moves offer a clear signal of where the future of the sports business is headed—toward greater consolidation, aggressive cross-promotion, and a relentless push for international expansion.
In this rapidly shifting landscape, success demands more than just brand recognition; it requires a willingness to rethink distribution, sponsorships, and fan engagement in entirely new ways. Leagues and organizations that remain forward-thinking, willing to break traditional models, and capable of executing globally will not only survive but also dominate in an increasingly fragmented and competitive market.
For brands, White’s boxing venture—and the broader expansion of new leagues—presents both opportunity and risk. In a fragmented sports market, brands must innovate to capture audience attention. One brand doing this successfully is Proximo Spirits.
By blending emotional storytelling, strategic partnerships, and audience-first thinking, Proximo Spirits has defied the odds. Be it via its partnership with LAFC or Detroit Lions, Proximo has stayed ahead of the curve. We spoke with Seth Yassky, from Proximo Spirits to understand how brands can win in this evolving landscape.
But before we dive into that, tell us…
Do You Think Dana White Can Make Boxing Great Again? |
In today’s saturated sports landscape, brands must go beyond traditional marketing - and Proximo Spirits is leading the charge. Thanks to his two-decades-long affinity with beverage brands and sports, Seth Yassky has seen the shifts in sports marketing firsthand. “Sports is probably one of the most outreached properties and principles in marketing as a whole,” Yassky says. But the oversaturation concerns him too.
When asked by our host, Trey Holder, about the most consequential trend in 2025, he cautioned, “You know what, it’s become very crowded… You get to the point of diminishing returns.” This audience fragmentation can cut a deep slice into brands’ expected ROI.
So how is Proximo cutting through the noise? By blending emotional storytelling with targeted partnerships.
Case Study: The Detroit Lions & 1800 Tequila
Proximo created a special commemorative bottle for Detroit Lions fans, delivering impressive results by following three key principles:
✅ Emotional Branding: Featuring the Lions’ logo and name forged an instant emotional connection.
✅ Memorabilia Appeal: The bottle felt like a piece of franchise history, driving purchases.
✅ Cultural Integration: By embedding into fan culture, Proximo tapped into passion-driven spending.
The campaign’s success was undeniable — some fans reportedly flew into Detroit just to secure a bottle.
Pivoting Beyond the Stadium
Proximo’s marketing success wasn’t always guaranteed. For years, they heavily targeted stadium marketing — until they realized a startling truth:
Only 25% of their total ROI came from stadium venues.
Barely 4-7% came from concession sales.
90% of fans never attend games in person.
Knowing these stats, we did some digging of our own, and here’s what the whole picture looks like…
Realizing this, Proximo shifted to digital-first engagement strategies — expanding reach and connecting with remote fans. In fact, the partnership with Kevin Hart was the perfect execution of that understanding.
The Kevin Hart Play: A Game-Changing Partnership
Proximo’s collaboration with Kevin Hart, a passionate Eagles fan, was a masterstroke. By launching Gran Coramino Tequila with Hart as the face of the campaign, Proximo achieved:
✅ Engagement with local Eagles fans and luxury tequila buyers alike.
✅ Expanded brand awareness through Hart’s extensive influence.
The strategy delivered impressive growth in the high-end tequila market. And how can we forget… Hart even ended up becoming an immortal meme on the internet with his #CuffItChallenge dance, holding the Gran Coramino bottle. That meme going viral surely wouldn’t have hurt Proximo Spirits.
Diverse Strategies for Diverse Brands
Proximo’s success isn’t one-size-fits-all. According to Yassky, “Every brand has a different personality, audience segment, and niche state.” That’s why Proximo tailors its approach for each product:
Bushmills Irish Whiskey tapped into Boston Celtics fans through NBA legend Paul Pierce.
Gran Centenario Tequila became the official tequila sponsor for the Liga MX vs. MLS tournament to engage soccer fans.
Gran Coramino pledged $10K grants to support 50 Black and Latinx small businesses, boosting cultural relevance.
Whether it’s Dana White’s boxing ambitions or Proximo’s strategic pivot, one truth is clear: Brands that win in today’s crowded sports landscape are those that embrace change, understand fan culture, and innovate fearlessly.
By building emotional connections, aligning with cultural values, and leveraging bold marketing strategies, brands can thrive in an increasingly fragmented world — just like Proximo Spirits did.
The women’s sports footwear industry, valued at $45.03 billion in 2023, is booming, yet major brands like Nike, Adidas, and Puma lag behind in creating shoes specifically for female athletes. Women's feet differ anatomically, but most women’s shoes remain sized-down versions of men's designs, increasing injury risks. Major brands are only starting to recognize the problem and are doing very little to alleviate the issue. In contrast, female-centric sports footwear startups like Moolah Kicks and IDA Sports are innovating rapidly. Moolah Kicks’ sales rose 40% year-over-year, whereas IDA Sports tripled its revenue in 2024. Industry leaders must adapt to these demands or risk losing ground to these agile, consumer-focused start-ups.
MrBeast and his chocolate brand, Feastables, were the real MVPs at the Sidemen Charity Match. The event, held at Wembley Stadium with a 90,000-person live audience, reached 8 million live-stream viewers. Feastables sponsored the YouTube All-Stars’ jerseys, capitalizing on the match to expand into Great Britain. Feastables is already thriving – sales revenue is projected to reach $520 million this year. By offering a meet-and-greet giveaway and tapping into the Sidemen’s vast audience, MrBeast achieved major brand exposure across diverse fanbases – an envious marketing move from the 26-year-old. With Feastables outperforming even his YouTube revenue, MrBeast’s strategic gamble on the Sidemen Charity Match will pay rich dividends.
MLB’s Tokyo Series isn’t just about baseball—it’s a bold move in the sports arms race. Shohei Ohtani’s wider appeal—spanning Nike deals, talk show appearances, and social media buzz—makes the Japanese the perfect ambassador to draw eyeballs. This move aligns with a broader sports industry trend: going global. The NFL is planning 8 international games in 2025, while the NBA is eyeing a future European expansion league. Combat sports are also joining the race, with TKO’s new boxing league aiming for worldwide dominance. If the Tokyo Series succeeds, it could open doors for an MLB expansion team in Japan, signaling that the future of sports lies far beyond home turf.
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