UFC President Dana White announced Monday that the mixed martial arts organization has reached a landmark seven-year agreement with Paramount and CBS worth $7.7 billion, fundamentally changing how fans will access the sport’s biggest fights.
UFC Now on Paramount Plus
The deal, which begins in January 2026, marks the end of UFC’s traditional pay-per-view model in the United States. Starting next year, all UFC content will stream exclusively on Paramount+ with select numbered events simulcast on CBS, eliminating the additional $80 fee fans previously paid for major fights.
“This historic deal with Paramount and CBS is incredible for UFC fans and our athletes,” White stated. “For the first time ever, fans in the US will have access to all UFC content without a pay-per-view model, making it more affordable and accessible to view the greatest fights on a massive platform.”
The agreement covers UFC’s complete annual slate of 43 live events, including 13 marquee numbered events and 30 Fight Nights, delivering more than 350 hours of live content. The deal represents a significant increase from UFC’s current arrangement with ESPN, which pays approximately $500 million annually and expires at the end of 2025.
TKO Group President Mark Shapiro called the pay-per-view model “a thing of the past,” noting that few entertainment options still rely on the outdated system. “What’s on pay-per-view anymore? Boxing? Movies on DirecTV? It’s an outdated, antiquated model,” Shapiro told CNBC.
The financial structure favors UFC significantly, with Paramount paying an average of $1.1 billion annually, though the contract is weighted toward the back end of the seven-year term. This represents more than double what ESPN currently pays for UFC rights.
For Paramount, the acquisition represents the first major content deal following the completion of its $8.4 billion merger with Skydance Media. CEO David Ellison described UFC as “a unicorn asset that comes up about once a decade.” The deal positions Paramount+ alongside major sports content, adding to the platform’s existing NFL and UEFA Champions League programming.
Paramount+ currently costs $7.99 monthly for the Essential plan with ads and $12.99 for Premium without ads. Subscribers will receive access to all UFC events at no additional charge, potentially saving fans over $1,000 annually compared to purchasing individual pay-per-view events.
The streaming platform reaches nearly 950 million broadcast and digital households across more than 210 countries and territories in 50 languages. UFC maintains millions of fans in the United States who engage across linear, digital, and social platforms.
Industry observers view the move as part of a broader shift away from traditional pay-per-view models toward subscription-based streaming. WWE, also owned by TKO Group, recently moved its premium live events to Netflix and ESPN, abandoning its pay-per-view structure.
Paramount expressed interest in acquiring international UFC rights as they become available on a rolling basis, with approximately one-third of global rights becoming accessible each year. The company will receive a 30-day exclusive negotiating period for each country’s rights when they come up for renewal.
The announcement signals a major transformation for combat sports distribution, potentially influencing how other fighting organizations structure their media rights deals. For fans, the change eliminates the barrier of individual event purchases while providing access to UFC’s complete programming schedule through a single monthly subscription.
