Turning Point Brands Goes Big With UFC
In our latest Trade To Black podcast, hosts Shadd Dales and Anthony Varrell break down one of the biggest branding moves we’ve seen in a long time across sports and entertainment. Shadd Dales and Anthony Varrell sat down with Summer Frein, Chief Growth Officer at Turning Point Brands (NYSE: TPB), to unpack what their recently deal means for the brand. Turning Point Brands recently signed a major multi-year partnership with TKO Group covering UFC, Zuffa Boxing, Professional Bull Riders, Formula Drift, World’s Strongest Man and several other major sports properties.
It could be a signal of shifting cultural attitudes. Deals of this size and scope in highly regulated adult categories would have been unthinkable a decade ago. With the UFC transitioning from pay-per-view to direct-to-consumer streaming and rapidly expanding its audience, the timing was seen as particularly strategic for the Free brand to build visibility at scale.
Summer Frein’s earlier career at Altria, helped lead the investment thesis behind the Cronos Group deal in 2019. Frein described the new TKO partnership as a milestone not only for Turning Point Brands but for the entire category, calling it a genuine step-change in how brands in regulated spaces are scaling through culture. Turning Point Free’s tagline — “own your edge” — she argued, aligns naturally with the intensity and authenticity of UFC, bull riding, and motorsports, a point dramatically illustrated when the brand’s logo appeared blood-splattered on the octagon mat during its first event after the announcement.
On measuring success, Frein said the early indicators have been encouraging, with strong social media engagement and upticks in online sales tied to fight nights, though she emphasized that building brand awareness is the foundational goal before expecting significant sales lift. She also highlighted what differentiates Free from competitors: the widest range of nicotine strengths, broader product availability, and a distinct moisture profile that consumers have responded to positively.
The conversation also touched on the company’s Zig-Zag brand, a 145-year-old rolling paper icon with deep cultural roots. While Frein noted limited direct consumer overlap between Zig-Zag and Free, she explained that existing retail relationships built through Zig-Zag have opened critical doors for getting Free onto shelves at major chains.
Be sure tune in for the interview.
