Under a new deal announced on Monday, Paramount will become the exclusive streaming home for UFC events for the next seven years in the US. The deal, which Paramount reached with TKO Group, has an average annual value of $1.1 billion, according to the companies.
Under the terms of the deal, Paramount will stream UFC’s full slate of its 13 marquee numbered events and 30 “Fight Nights” on its streaming platform, Paramount+, with some events also being simulcast on CBS, starting in 2026.
“This deal puts UFC amongst the biggest sports in the world,” UFC CEO Dana White wrote in a post on X. “The exposure provided by the Paramount and CBS networks under this new structure is a huge win for our athletes and anyone who watches and loves this sport.”
This streaming deal marks a shift away from UFC’s current pay-per-view model, but one that will allow the MMA programming to reach a newer and broader audience. “Paramount’s advantage lies in the expansive reach of our linear and streaming platforms,” David Ellison, chairman and CEO of Paramount, said in a statement. “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.”
UFC events are currently available to stream through tiered pricing on ESPN+ thanks to a deal with Disney that lasts through the end of 2025. This new streaming model is sure to open UFC to a broader audience, and it comes just days after Paramount finalized its own sale for $8 billion to Skydance.
