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How we built the entire digital machine for Australia's first professional team grappling league — and sold it out in 30 days. 250+ spectators. 8 teams. One champion crowned.
Apex Submission League set out to create something that didn't exist yet — Australia's first professional team-based submission grappling league. A 4v4, submission-only format with a $5,000+ prize pool, professional production, and a vision to “Raise the Standard” of the sport.
The problem? They had 5 weeks, zero digital presence, and a niche community that had never seen anything like this. No website. No social media. No email list. No ticket infrastructure. No brand identity system. No advertising accounts. Nothing.
They needed the entire go-to-market machine built from scratch — and it all had to be live, optimised, and selling tickets before the mats hit the floor on April 11.
“We had the vision, the venue, and the athletes. What we didn't have was any way to reach the thousands of grapplers who'd want to be there. We needed everything — and we needed it yesterday.”
ASL needed more than a website. They needed a complete digital ecosystem that could:
In short: launch an entire sports brand in 35 days. The result? Sold out.
A 26-page custom website built with React and TypeScript, deployed on enterprise-grade hosting with a global CDN. Every page was purpose-built to drive ticket sales, build credibility, and support the full marketing funnel — growing from 13 pages at launch to 26 by event day.
Landing page with ASL 1 results recap, video modal, countdown timer, and lead capture
Season schedule with venue details, countdown, and embedded CRM forms
Tiered pricing (GA, VIP, Tables) with 3-phase automated pricing transitions
Competition divisions, format breakdown, and team pathway visualisation
Format rules, medical protocols, and downloadable PDF resources
13 Foundation Partners showcase with logo grid and tier badges
Live bracket display, match results, and team rankings from ASL 1
Founder bios, mission, values, leadership team, and origin story
Gym affiliate program with commission structure and application form
Referee certification, training modules, and cornerman application
Press kit, brand assets, press release, and media accreditation form
Dynamic inquiry form with URL parameter handling
Custom link-in-bio page replacing Linktree (noindex)
Multi-step form with fighter details, weight classes, and gym affiliation
Digital liability waiver with canvas-based signature capture and CRM attachment
ASL 2 waitlist capture with 48-hour early access and automated CRM enrollment
Event-day digital check-in form for spectators and competitors
Conversion-optimised payment flow with order bumps and promo codes
Dedicated ad landing page with single CTA, social proof, and urgency elements
Legal terms and conditions with structured content sections
3-phase automated pricing with timezone-aware transitions. Early Bird ($39 GA / $99 VIP) automatically shifts to Standard, then Final Release — no manual intervention needed.
Custom design system with championship gold (#D4AF37) and black (#050505) palette. Bebas Neue + Barlow typography. High-contrast, cinematic aesthetic across every page.
Purpose-built /links page replacing Linktree — keeping all traffic on-domain, maintaining brand consistency, and capturing analytics data that third-party tools miss.
Team registration, fighter waivers, check-in, waitlist, contact, sponsor inquiry, affiliate signup, media accreditation, official application, cornerman, and payment — all integrated with CRM.
Fighter liability waivers with canvas-based signature capture, consent checkboxes, medical questionnaire, and automatic attachment to CRM contact records.
Custom component library covering brackets, timers, forms, modals, pricing cards, partner grids, and more — all TypeScript with full type safety.
Full measurement infrastructure deployed from day one — because you can't optimise what you can't measure. 24 tags across 4 platforms, all managed through a single container.
Page views, scroll depth (25/50/75/90%), CTA clicks, ticket funnel tracking, form submissions, and purchase events with SPA routing support.
PageView, ViewContent, InitiateCheckout, Lead, and Purchase events. Installed across /tickets, /events, /sponsors with thank-you page conversion tracking.
Session recordings, heatmap analysis, and user behaviour tracking to identify friction points in the ticket purchase flow.
Ticket page views, funnel clicks, form submissions, affiliate sign-ups, sponsor inquiries, and CRM funnel conversions — all feeding back into ad optimisation.
A 10-phase SEO and AI Engine Optimisation strategy implemented across all 26 pages:
A $2,949 Meta Ads investment across 4 campaigns with 9 unique ad creatives — taking a niche grappling audience from zero awareness to a sold-out event in 30 days.
Top-of-funnel video and brand awareness — introducing ASL to the Australian grappling community.
65K impressions
41K reach
29,793 video views
$415 spend
Warm audiences — video viewers, website visitors, ticket page visitors, and email subscribers.
12,764 warm audience reached
1,389 landing page views
$1,481 spend
Cold audiences — BJJ, MMA, Combat Sports interests. Age 18-44, Australia-wide.
161K impressions
96K reach
$0.19 CPC
1,945 landing page views
$729 spend
Modelled audiences from warm visitors, video viewers, and email subscribers.
5.95% CTR
$0.12 CPC
786 landing page views
$324 spend
Total spend: $2,949 AUD across 30 days. The event sold out.
Countdown to price increase with carousel showing price jump
Venue capacity constraint — "Legacy Gym holds 250 max"
Gym owners and community validation montage
What makes ASL different — submission-only, 4v4, $5K prize pool
VIP $99 vs a night out — value comparison
Gym owners and corporate buyers — "Bring your gym"
"Every sport has a beginning. This is Australian grappling's."
Professional lighting, broadcast cameras, commentary — trust through polish
Foundation Partner logo grid — credibility through association with 13 established brands
We crafted 3 custom photography prompts for AI image generation — each designed to evoke a specific emotional response:
Intimate gym venue, nearly full, warm golden spotlights — “last-chance” exclusivity
Professional setup, clean mats, LED lighting rig — “this looks legit”
Mat-level crowd shot, ringside tables packed, golden light — “proximity to action”
A complete multi-platform content strategy covering Instagram (primary), TikTok, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Twitter — built around 5 content pillars with a 5-week execution calendar.
Brand authority, production quality, founder vision, and format education
Athlete spotlights, team reveals, training footage, and fight card breakdowns
Gym shoutouts, community stories, UGC reposts, polls, and grassroots engagement
Ticket sales, venue announcements, early bird deadlines, VIP experience, and FOMO
Behind-the-scenes setup, camera rigs, commentator reveals, and merch previews
Establish legitimacy, introduce the league, set premium tone with brand anthem and format education
Athlete spotlights, training footage, coach perspectives — build emotional investment before matchups
Team reveals, matchup breakdowns, venue announcement, fight card graphic — peak hype
Early bird countdown, pricing transition, retargeting push, event logistics guide
Final ticket push, sponsor thank-yous, live event day Stories and real-time match coverage
4-5 feed posts + 3-4 Reels + daily Stories (5-10 slides)
5-7 videos/week with trending sounds and native content
3-4 posts/week + Event page + BJJ Group engagement
1 long-form video + 2-3 Shorts per week
Built from zero followers. No paid boosts on organic content.
85% of all Instagram reach came from non-followers. The content didn't just circulate — it discovered new audiences.
Ticket sales don't just happen from ads. We built viral loops, community distribution, and referral mechanics into every touchpoint.
Every ticket buyer receives a unique referral link post-purchase. For every 3 friends who buy, the referrer gets a free VIP upgrade or $20 merch credit.
Post-purchase share kit includes pre-written messages for Instagram Stories, Facebook, WhatsApp, plus branded share cards in 1080x1080 and 1080x1920.
Display A3 poster + share 1 post
$5 per ticket sold via link
Active promotion, link sharing, newsletter
Commission per sale + logo at event
Deep integration, co-branded content, team entered
Premium branding + VIP table + higher commission
90%+ open rates vs. 20-30% for email. 2-3 messages per week with fight card reveals, early bird reminders, and sold-out warnings.
Opt-in via website link: “Join the ASL WhatsApp list for first access to fight cards and ticket drops.”
30 A3 posters with QR codes distributed to partner gyms — front desk, bathrooms, change rooms. 5 weeks of passive exposure = 10-15 impressions per gym member.
Budget: $100-$150 for printing. Each poster links to the gym's unique affiliate URL for commission tracking.
18 automated workflows running 24/7 — turning every website visitor, ticket buyer, fighter, and gym partner into an active part of the sales engine. Here are the four core sequences:
Trigger: Ticket purchase completed
Confirmation email with unique referral link + share cards. 3 friend purchases = free VIP upgrade.
Trigger: Affiliate signup
Welcome email with partner pack, weekly leaderboard updates, top-referring gym wins free Ringside Table.
Trigger: Email capture (10s on site or 50% scroll)
7-email sequence over 14 days: vision video, format explainer, fight card preview, ticket breakdown, scarcity close.
Trigger: Opt-in via website
2-3 messages/week with fight card reveals, early bird reminders, sold-out warnings. 90%+ open rates.
From zero digital presence to a sold-out inaugural event — 703K+ impressions, 239K+ unique Australians reached, and every ticket gone in 30 days.
On April 11, 2026, ASL 1 took the floor at Legacy Gym in Kincumber, NSW. 250+ spectators packed the venue. 10+ teams and 60+ athletes competed in a single-elimination bracket format with a $5,000+ prize pool on the line.
After a full night of submission-only grappling, Grappling Education defeated Gracie Elite in the final to be crowned the inaugural Apex Submission League champions.
“Australia has world-class submission grappling talent, and for too long that talent has competed on stages that haven't matched its standard. ASL was built to change that. Last night, we delivered on what we promised our athletes, our Foundation Partners, and our fans.”
— Khan Morris, Founder, Apex Submission League
ASL 2 is coming.
The waitlist is now open. Season 2 dates and venue to be announced.
| Deliverable | Detail |
|---|---|
| Website | 26-page custom-built site with dynamic pricing, 11 form types, digital signatures, and payment processing |
| Design System | Full UI/UX with premium black & gold branding, ~50 custom React components |
| Analytics | 24 GTM tags — GA4, Meta Pixel, Microsoft Clarity with SPA tracking |
| SEO & AEO | 10-phase implementation: schema markup, sitemap, meta tags, entity definitions |
| Meta Ads | 4 campaigns, 9 creatives, $2,949 spend — 402K paid impressions, 703K+ combined with organic |
| Social Media | 301K+ organic Instagram views, 85% non-follower reach, 636 followers from zero, 5 pillars across 6 channels |
| CRM Automation | 18 GHL workflows — lead nurture, post-purchase, waivers, check-in, partner sequences |
| Growth Mechanics | Referral program, gym partnership tiers, WhatsApp broadcasts, social sharing prompts |
| Ticket Funnel | 3-phase automated pricing, conversion-optimised checkout — sold out in 30 days |
| Content Production | Video scripts, graphic specs, print assets, AI image prompts for 9 ad creatives |
Most agencies would tell you a project this size takes 3-6 months. We delivered the entire go-to-market stack — 26-page website, 4 ad campaigns, 18 CRM automations, SEO, social media, and growth mechanics — in 35 days.
This wasn't about cutting corners. It was about having the systems, the team, and the AI-augmented workflow to move at the speed the opportunity demanded. Every page was purpose-built. Every tag was tested. Every ad creative was strategically mapped to a funnel stage.
The result? A sold-out inaugural event. 250+ spectators. A champion crowned. 13 Foundation Partners. And a Season 2 waitlist already filling up. ASL didn't just launch — it arrived.
See how we help events & sports brands growWhether it's a sports league, an event, or a brand-new business — we build the entire digital engine so you can focus on what you do best.