UFC headed to Paramount in $7.7 billion deal, pay-per-view model to end
The UFC has secured a massive deal for its new home.
On Monday, the UFC announced that Paramount will become the exclusive home of all UFC events in the U.S. in a seven-year deal starting in 2026. The deal is for an annual average value of over $1.1 billion a year, according to a press release.
In the agreement, the UFC will end its existing pay-per-view model and now feature these 13 premium events on Paramount+. Select numbered events will also be simulcast on CBS. The streaming service will also distribute 30 Fight Nights per year.
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As part of the agreement, UFC and Paramount will move away from UFC’s existing Pay-Per-View model in favor of making these premium events available at no additional cost to the expansive U.S. subscriber base of Paramount+. This shift in distribution strategy will unlock greater accessibility and discoverability for sports fans and provide an important catalyst for driving engagement and further subscriber growth for Paramount+. Paramount intends to explore UFC rights outside the U.S. as they become available in the future. - TKO and Paramount press release
“I couldn’t be more excited to join forces with Dana, Ari, and Mark. Rarely do opportunities arise to partner on an exclusive basis with a global sports powerhouse like UFC – an organization with extraordinary global recognition, scale, and cultural impact,” said David Ellison, Chairman and CEO of Paramount, in a statement. “Paramount’s advantage lies in the expansive reach of our linear and streaming platforms. Live sports continue to be a cornerstone of our broader strategy — driving engagement, subscriber growth, and long-term loyalty, and the addition of UFC’s year-round must-watch events to our platforms is a major win. We look forward to delivering this premium content to millions of fans in the U.S., and potentially beyond.”
The move to Paramount means the UFC’s relationship with ESPN officially ends in 2025. The UFC had been on the network since 2019 and was reportedly making $450 million per year in that deal.
