United States, Los Angeles
5
Digital solutions
1000+
Players per location
3
Los Angeles events
4
Unique experience formats
Overview
Turning a streaming launch into a live arena fans could step into.
To support the launch of the Rousey vs. Carano MMA fight, the brief was clear: bring the intensity of the ring to life at 3 fan events across Los Angeles to create active participants.
IUF was brought in to design and deploy a full suite of interactive digital experiences for three live activation events. The scope covered five distinct digital solutions, all tied together through RFID wristband technology that linked every player’s data across the experience ecosystem.
IUF’s role was to translate the raw energy of MMA competition into measurable, shareable fan moments, and the result was over 1,000 players per location, premium trading cards as physical collectibles, and a live leaderboard ecosystem that kept competition running across every touchpoint.
Journey & Experience
Every fan who stepped up left with a score, a card, and a reason to come back.
The activation was designed around physical challenge and personal data, two things MMA fans respond to instinctively. RFID wristbands issued at entry linked each player to their results across all stations, building a personalised profile that persisted across the event floor.
The experience ecosystem was built around five interactive digital solutions:
- Custom kicking force game, fans measured and recorded their strike force against an instrumented bag, with live results fed to a central leaderboard
- Custom choking / submission force measure, a second physical challenge measuring submission grip force, themed to the Rousey vs. Carano fight narrative
- RFID-linked player profiles, wristbands connected each participant’s results across all stations, enabling personalised data capture and leaderboard rankings
- Live leaderboard displays, large-format screens showing real-time submission and kicking force rankings, updated live as players competed
- Premium trading cards, personalised collectible cards printed on-site featuring the player’s name, weight class, and recorded force scores, themed to the show’s fight card aesthetic
The Rousey vs. Carano visual identity ran through every touchpoint, screens, cards, and physical game stations, creating a cohesive brand world that felt native to the Netflix IP rather than just bolted on.
Technology Architecture
Five separate experience stations, one unified data layer, all running in a live outdoor environment across three event days.
Core Infrastructure
- RFID wristband platform, a persistent player ID linking scores, leaderboard rank, and card personalisation across all five stations
- Live data pipeline, force sensor scores feed straight into leaderboards and card printing, with no manual entry
- Centralised content management, one back end system driving all screens, player data, and leaderboard feeds
Hardware Ecosystem
- Instrumented kicking bag, a consumer safe force sensor giving score output as players compete
- Submission force station, custom grip and choke hardware themed to the fight narrative
- Large format displays, weatherproof screens showing live leaderboards and branded content
- Card printers on site, producing personalised collectibles the instant RFID data comes through
On-site Delivery
- A technical team on site across all three LA events, covering hardware, RFID, and live content
- Continuous monitoring, with fast fault recovery to hold uptime across long event windows
- Full ownership by IUF, covering hardware, software, content, and operations under one delivery model
Watch our technical explainer video to see how it all came together.
Implementation
Three events, five solutions, zero tolerance for downtime, delivery was sequenced around live public audiences and a fixed Netflix production schedule.
Phase 1 – Design and Build
- Five interactive formats designed around the Rousey vs. Carano narrative and MMA fan behaviour
- RFID data model built for persistent player profiles, enabling real time leaderboard and trading card personalisation
- Force sensors and card printers sourced, configured, and integrated with the live RFID feed
Phase 2 – Testing and Integration
- All five solutions tested together as one system before going live
- Netflix brand assets applied across screens, cards, and leaderboards, then signed off against IP guidelines
- Playbook created for on site teams, covering RFID issuance, fault procedures, and live content management
Phase 3 – Live Event Delivery
- All three Los Angeles events delivered with a full IUF technical crew on site
- Over 1,000 players per location processed, wristbands issued, scores captured, leaderboards updated, cards printed live
- Zero critical hardware failures, all five solutions ran continuously throughout each event day
Outcomes
Scale of engagement
With 1,000+ players per location across three Los Angeles events, the activation delivered consistent, high-volume fan participation at each stop, evidence that the experience design held up at scale, not just in controlled conditions.
Unified experience
Five separate interactive solutions operated as a single, coherent ecosystem, each player’s journey connected via RFID from first wristband tap to personalised trading card collection. This is the difference between a technology deployment and a designed experience.
Brand immersion
Premium trading cards gave every participant a physical, branded artefact to take away. The Rousey vs. Carano visual identity ran through every digital surface, reinforcing the Netflix IP at each touchpoint rather than sitting alongside it.
Testimonials
When we first brought IUF the brief, the overall creative vision and fan experience had already been established, but there were still some complex technical challenges to solve. We knew we wanted fans to truly feel the intensity of Rousey vs. Carano through measurable competition, and IUF became an invaluable thought partner in helping us elevate that vision with an innovative, tech-forward solution.
Their team worked closely with us to develop a system that could accurately capture strike force and submission data in real time, bringing a level of precision that exceeded our expectations. The accuracy of the force sensors was incredible, and the final experience gave fans authentic performance metrics that made every interaction feel meaningful. What made the partnership especially successful was that IUF collaborated with us to refine and strengthen the experience where it mattered most. From the technical infrastructure behind the gameplay to the end-to-end fan journey, from wristband registration through the personalized takeaway card, they consistently brought thoughtful ideas and practical solutions that enhanced the activation without losing sight of the creative vision. Our client was thrilled with the end result.
That’s exactly the kind of partnership we value. Their willingness to collaborate, problem-solve, and contribute meaningful technical expertise made the experience stronger, and it’s why we’d be excited to have them involved early on future projects. Thank you to the entire IUF team for helping bring this activation to life.
Sam Rosenblum
Director – Business Strategy & Media Acquisition | Map360 Collective
