(Bloomberg) -- The Ultimate Fighting Championship is teaming up with Jeremy’s Razors, an upstart shaving brand from the conservative podcaster Daily Wire, as its official “razor blade partner,” the mixed-martial-arts company announced Monday.
The sponsorship deal means that the media outlet’s foray into politicized, male-grooming products — which it explicitly markets as “woke-free” — will be integrated into broadcasts of UFC matches and on display at arenas, starting on Jan. 18 with the UFC’s first pay-per-view event of 2025 at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California.
“We fight for masculinity every day, and there is no better place to play that out than in the octagon,” Tara Murphy, president of consumer products at the Daily Wire, said in an interview. “In the octagon, you literally see masculinity at its peak.”
The Daily Wire declined to share the financial arrangements of the deal with UFC, which is part of TKO Group Holdings Inc.
The partnership illustrates UFC’s growing cultural alignment with conservative politicians and podcasters. On election night in November, Dana White, chief executive officer of UFC, stood by Donald Trump during his victory speech. When it was White’s turn to address the partygoers, he thanked several podcasters for their support.
The Daily Wire produces numerous podcasts, including a popular show from co-founder Ben Shapiro. Last quarter, his program was the 22nd most popular in the US, according to Edison Research.
The media outlet’s move into the shaving market grew out of an online skirmish. In 2021, after a Twitter user complained about a Daily Wire personality disparaging gender fluidity, Harry’s Inc., a leading razor seller, pulled its advertisements from the company’s shows. In response, the Daily Wire launched a rival shaving brand.
In a press release, Jeremy Boreing, co-founder of the Daily Wire and namesake of the razor brand, noted that White was one of their product’s first customers following its launch in 2022.
Last year, Jeremy’s Razors made up the vast majority of the Daily Wire’s commerce revenue, according to Axios, accounting for $19 million of approximately $22 million in sales.
Murphy said the company shipped its millionth razor in September.
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