UFC Finds New Home at Paramount in a Million-Dollar Deal
A historic agreement marks a new chapter for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Starting in 2026, Paramount will become the exclusive home for all UFC events in the United States, thanks to a seven-year contract with TKO Group, announced this Monday. The agreement, valued at an annual average of $1.1 billion, promises to revolutionize the way fans consume mixed martial arts. Paramount will exclusively distribute the 13 most important numbered UFC events and 30 “Fight Nights” through its streaming platform, Paramount+. Some numbered events will also be simulcast on CBS.This change represents a deviation from the UFC’s current pay-per-view model, which, according to Paramount and TKO, will allow mixed martial arts programming to reach a wider audience across the country.This agreement positions the UFC among the biggest sports in the world. The exposure provided by Paramount and CBS under this new structure is a great victory for our athletes and for anyone who watches and loves this sport.
Dana White, CEO of UFC
Mark Shapiro, president and chief operating officer of TKO, added that the agreement will mean “a deeper engagement for the passionate UFC fanbase” and that its athletes “will love this new stage.” Currently, UFC events are broadcast on ESPN, which has offered tiered pricing for fans to watch content through TV offerings and the sports network’s streaming platform ESPN+ since 2019. The UFC’s partnership with Disney-owned ESPN extends until the end of 2025. Paramount indicated that it intends to explore UFC rights outside the United States “as they become available in the future”. This news comes a few days after Skydance and Paramount officially closed their $8 billion merger. In addition to the UFC, TKO also hosts WWE and has been actively working on deals for the sports entertainment company. Last week, Disney announced a deal with WWE that will see its premium live events, such as WrestleMania, broadcast on ESPN.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 must-see UFC events to our platforms is a big win.
David Ellison, President and CEO of Paramount
