In April 2012 MetroPCS (NYSE: PCS) announced that it had formed Team MetroPCS featuring Ultimate Fighters Cain Velasquez and Frankie Edgar. The deal put Velasquez and Edgar as the brand ambassadors for MetroPCS ® . The athletes will give MMA fans a behind the scenes look as they prepare for their upcoming matches. The athletes will provide unique content to MetroPCS ® subscribers.
Prior to that the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) ® and MetroPCS ® entered into the a partnership. in late 2011 the companies announced a partnership The multi-year sponsorship agreement includes MetroPCS ® signage at all domestic UFC ® events, a presence in UFC ® Pay-Per-View event broadcasts, fighter endorsements and appearances, retail promotions and UFC ® branded MetroPCS ® products. MetroPCS ® will also deliver exclusive video and other mobile content to fans, such as highlights of the week, UFC ® personality profiles, special segments and more. The first event featuring MetroPCS ® was UFC ® 141: LESNAR vs. OVEREEM from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on Friday, Dec. 30.
This week it was announced that MetroPCS ® is in talks with several potential merger partners. It is rumored that MetroPCS ® is in talks with telecommunications giants Sprint ®, T-Mobile ®, and satellite provider Dish Network ®. The stock of MetroPCS ® has seen it’s value increase over 40% over the last 12-months. The merger talks are not hurting the stock price either.
It is not clear how the sale will affect the sponsorship. Dish Network ® is a suitor that see’s the value in the UFC’s ® platform. AT&T ® has turned our firm down on several occasions claiming MMA was not a fit for their brand. T-Mobile ® is an edgy tier one provider and could likely see the fit. There is no question that MetroPCS ® has done a great job promoting its brand within the UFC ® and connecting with the fans through it’s Team MetroPCS ® program. Time will tell which company ends up buying MetroPCS ®.