Mixed Martial Arts Giant UFC Moves to Paramount, Signifying the End of Pay-Per-View Events
The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) has announced a significant new partnership with Paramount, set to begin in 2026. This seven-year deal, worth $7.7 billion, marks a major shift in the distribution of mixed martial arts content, aiming to expand access via streaming platforms.
Under this new agreement, all UFC's marquee numbered events and Fight Nights will be exclusively available on Paramount+'s direct-to-consumer streaming platform in the U.S., replacing the previous pay-per-view model. Selected numbered events will also simulcast on CBS.
This partnership is set to bring approximately 43 UFC events annually to Paramount+'s platforms, delivering more than 350 hours of live event content. The average annual value of this deal is estimated to be around $1.1 billion.
The new partnership is expected to reduce costs for consumers compared to the combined prior cost of an ESPN+ subscription and UFC pay-per-view buys. Unfortunately, this means the loss of UFC cable TV broadcasts, as events will exclusively move to the streaming platform.
David Ellison, Chairman and CEO of Paramount, expressed his excitement about partnering with the UFC, stating, "We are thrilled to bring UFC's year-round must-watch events to our platforms, which will be a major win for delivering premium content to millions of fans."
The UFC-ESPN partnership has officially ended, and the current deal with ESPN expires at the end of 2025. Along with UFC, Paramount, TKO Group Holdings Inc., WWE, and PBR (professional bull riding) have made an official announcement of this new partnership.
With this new partnership, UFC fans will have access to all UFC content on a massive platform, and the pay-per-view model will no longer be a part of the UFC product. The UFC product will now be offered exclusively via the Paramount streaming platform and CBS.
This new deal is a major win for delivering premium content to millions of fans and is set to revolutionise the way UFC events are consumed in the U.S. from 2026 onward, with Paramount+ as the primary streaming destination.
Sports fans who enjoy UFC betting will find it more convenient with the new UFC-Paramount partnership, as all UFC events will be exclusively available on Paramount+'s streaming platform starting in 2026. This shift in distribution also means that sports betting enthusiasts can now watch Sports such as mixed-martial-arts more easily, further enhancing their UFC betting experience.
