Casey’s General Stores is getting in on the action that TKO Group Holdings will unleash in K.C. later this month, signing on as an official partner of the first TKO Takeover. From April 24-28, TKO’s three sports properties -- UFC, WWE and PBR -- will hold back-to-back events at the same arena for the first time under common ownership.
VeChain, the blockchain company that already sponsors the UFC and Power Slap, is presenting partner of TKO Takeover, which will be held at T-Mobile Center. But TKO has now added an official partner in the publicly traded, Iowa-based C-Store chain Casey’s, which has a hefty footprint around the K.C. area. Financial terms were unclear, but assets include branding in the UFC Octagon, WWE ring and PBR fencing and bucking chutes. The chain, which has naming rights to the Casey’s Center in Des Moines through a deal with Oak View Group, will also have in-arena activations, VIP hospitality, digital/social integration with the properties and fan campaigns in K.C.
The connection between TKO and Casey’s came through Monster Energy, which passes through some of its vertical bumper branding assets that line the Octagon to major retail partners like Casey’s.
“When we brought this to them originally, they understood what we were building from the get-go,” UFC VP/Global Partnerships Robby Miller told SBJ. “This is the first one we’ve ever done and there’s no other collection of properties that can execute this type of experience not just for brands but for fans. ... Casey’s understood there’s a way to reach and cover the entire market with one go and that’s through this partnership.”
TKO only announced the Takeover concept in late February, so Casey’s willingness to move quickly on this deal was important, according to Miller. Founded in 1968, Casey’s says it is the third-largest C-Store chain and fifth-largest pizza chain in the U.S. The company is also involved in motorsports sponsorship in the sprint car world, which has its roots in the Midwest.
Last fall, Casey’s did a sweepstakes with Monster around the UFC that involved a consumer buying two Monster cans and using the Casey’s Rewards app at participating stores to enter to win a $100 gift card, which could be used to buy access to a UFC PPV. The Takeover starts with the “PBR Knockout: PBR Teams Missouri vs the World” on Thursday April 24, continues with a UFC Fight night on Saturday, April 26, and finishes with WWE Raw on Monday, April 28.
