How Could the Judo World Championships Market Itself even Better?

Judo is a popular martial art with millions of people practising it around the world, and even more people than that following it as a sport. The Judo World Championships are held every year, with hundreds of thousands tuning in every year. While clearly enjoyed by many people, Judo is not the easiest sport to understand given the last World Championships . Comparisons with other sports such that boxing, UFC, and MMA pull in more viewership than Judo.

Why Does Judo Pull In Less Viewership Than Other Sports?

Judo pulls in less viewership than other sports and martial arts for probably a few different reasons. MMA betting tends to pull in pretty consistent numbers of people, viewership is high for various MMA events (most notably the UFC), and the sports are generally in good health. While Judo certainly has a high number of people who follow the sport, it doesn't seem to get the attention it deserves across sports betting sites, sports communities, and the like.
A big problem with Judo is the lack of marketing around the sport. Think of the last time any of your friends saw a promotional video for Judo. When have you seen Judo on billboards around a city center? A poster for a Judo event on a bus?
There is a clear marketing issue, which means that people who may be interested in the sport aren't reminded of that in the way they are for MMA, boxing, and the rest. It also means that people who aren't currently interested in the sport but may never get the exposure necessary for them to become interested in Judo.
The more marketable Judo as a sport becomes, the more viewers it'll amass. In fact, if one of the reasons Judo isn't as popular as other martial arts is because of having less prevalence in sports betting, then the sport becoming more marketable would solve that problem too.

How Could Judo Market Itself Better?

There are many ways that Judo could market itself, far too many options to list here. But the core elements involve investing a lot of money into advertisements across both traditional channels (TV, print media, radio) as well as more modern channels such as email, social media, apps, and websites.
If the International Judo Federation and other governing bodies of the sport banded together to invest in a proper global advertisement strategy, the sport would have a viable spot at breaking into the mainstream.
Another thing to consider is the personality of Judo fighters. Judo is very much based on respect, as all martial arts should be, which can lead to much less outspokenness from the athletes who compete. Further to that, while these are individuals who shouldn't be generalized, it is perhaps closer to Judo's culture to be a bit more reserved and less distracted by media sponsorships, clothing deals, and the like that you'd see athletes from other disciplines/sports indulge in.
We live in an era where the most extroverted loud characters typically hold the most attention. A Judo aficionado knows plenty of Judo athletes, but how many could a non-fan name? Where's Judo's Conor McGregor?
If Judo athletes had more of a presence in the mainstream through TV appearances or social media influencing, then perhaps the sport itself would garner new eyes; similar to what's happening to boxing in the wake of the YouTube boxing era