Effect Sport is chosen by the UFC as the commercial agency in Brazil.

Effect Sport is the new commercial agency of the UFC in Brazil. The main MMA organization in the world joins the agency's portfolio alongside other major international organizations and global brands. The arrival of the UFC reinforces Effect Sport's reputation with the market, which has one of its biggest success stories being the NFL account, a client for 10 years.

"We chose Effect for its expertise and strong connection with the Brazilian market. The UFC is experiencing a high moment of audience and engagement in Brazil, about to return to the country with an event in October, UFC Fight Night: Oliveira x Fiziev, which sold out in less than two hours. Having a dedicated commercial agency is essential to expand our partnerships and come even closer to brands and fans," says Eduardo Galetti, Senior Vice President of UFC in Brazil.

The Brazilian is passionate about the UFC, and beyond an always intense engagement in the digital universe (there were over 1.6B views on UFC's Brazilian social media in 2024), Brazil is seen as a promising market for brands to associate with the organization. With over 700 million fans worldwide, the number of enthusiasts in Brazil matches the performance of Brazilian fighters in the Octagon, and the country is considered one of the main markets for the UFC outside the United States.

Another interesting fact is the list of over three hundred Brazilian athletes who have been part of the UFC roster, including legends like Amanda Nunes, Anderson Silva, Fabrício Werdum, José Aldo, Maurício Shogun, Rodrigo Minotauro, and Vítor Belfort.

"Being chosen by the UFC, one of the largest sports organizations in the world, which has a huge and passionate fan base in the country, is a great source of happiness for us at Effect Sport. Throughout our journey, we specialized in working with international properties, always seeking to deeply understand the content, connecting with people passionate about the subject, outlining strategies for entry and growth of the asset," comments Pedro Rego Monteiro, CEO of Effect Sport, which currently, in addition to the NFL, also serves the New England Patriots, Miami Dolphins, FIFA, CONMEBOL, Gatorade, and Stanley. Throughout the agency's 17-year history, Team USA (United States Olympic Committee), NBA, WSL, FIBA, SLS, Nike, and Red Bull have also been part of the portfolio.

"This formula seems to have worked because, after 17 years of intense action, both inside and outside various configurations of the four lines, we continue to create cool stories, learning a lot and playing the sport that motivates us the most, which is to surprise," adds Pedro.

The presence of the NFL in Brazil completes 10 years in 2025

Given such a long contract with so many success stories, some are worth highlighting. For example, the creation and execution of three editions of NFL in Brasa, the largest NFL fan fest outside the U.S. for the Super Bowl broadcast, with around 50,000 people in attendance over three years. A second achievement is the acquisition of all regional sponsorships in Brazil: XP, BRF, Fit, Mars (Snickers), Pizza Hut, KFC, Jack Daniels, and RAM. In addition, Effect Sport was responsible, after 20 years of the NFL off open television, for the broadcasting rights agreement with Rede TV and led local discussions with the City Hall of São Paulo for the realization of the first NFL game in the country last year.

Another very important issue over this decade is the digital presence. The production of content for five social networks has been done exclusively by the agency's content and media team since 2016. Since then, the digital presence of American football among Brazilian fans has been rising and is far from having hit its ceiling. From 2015 to 2025, the league grew from 400k to almost 5 million followers on the NFL's social media in Brazil (Instagram, Facebook, X, Tiktok, and Youtube).

‘Country of football’ also outside the four lines

After organizing the Fan Zones for CONMEBOL for Libertadores 2023 and Copa América 2024, Effect Sport was responsible for the official FIFA Fan Zone for the 1st Club World Cup, held in June and July of this year. Rio de Janeiro was the city with the highest number of teams in the World Cup, and this point was crucial for the event's realization, which featured a 15,000 m² area open for free to fans on the days of matches for the Rio clubs. During the 14 days of operation of the arena, over 110,000 people passed through Copacabana's sands, generating over R$53 million for the local economy. Presented by Betano, sponsored by Hisense, Centrum, Sofascore, and Jim Beam, the event received great support from the State Government and the City Hall of Rio, in addition to a solid partnership with Grupo Globo, which brought the event to over 75 million people throughout Brazil.