A new marketing deal with a suitable business partner lit a hot flame under Turning Point Brands (TPB 2.83%) stock on the second-to-last trading day of the week. The tobacco products specialist's equity rocketed more than 10% higher that day, indicating widespread shareholder satisfaction with the deal.
Entering the arena
That partner is TKO Group Holdings (TKO 1.97%), the owner of Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), among other sports and entertainment assets. TKO announced Thursday that it and Turning Point have entered into a multi-year marketing partnership centered on the tobacco company's FRE nicotine pouches.
Image source: Getty Images.
Under the terms of the deal, FRE will be marketed via what TKO described as "custom integrations and experiences" across six of its partner's brands. These include UFC, UFC BJJ (Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu), Zuffa Boxing, and Professional Bull Riders (PBR).
The lineup also comprises a pair of brands controlled by TKO's IMG sports marketing and management arm, bodybuilding competition World's Strongest Man, and auto racing series Formula Drift.
The financial particulars of the partnership were not disclosed.
NYSE: TPB
Key Data Points
Where is WWE?
One business conspicuously absent from TKO's press release was the one that brought in the most revenue for it in 2025 -- WWE.
The wrestling federation has a large audience that watches its anchor shows and premium events on top video streaming services Netflix and Walt Disney's ESPN+. Advertising on such content would surely give FRE and its owner quite a boost in customer numbers and revenue, although its opportunity on those platforms might be limited given that it's hawking tobacco products.
Perhaps Turning Point is arranging a separate marketing deal with TKO for that brand, but we can only speculate at this point. As for the actual terms of the arrangement, those other TKO brands are suitable for hocking FRE, since their audiences are overwhelmingly adult and therefore a chunky (if broad), and ideal crowd of potential customers.
