UFC Events, including a potential White House spectacle, could stream live on our site in 2026, according to Dana White's TKO hints.
In a significant move for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), TKO Group Holdings has signed a new media rights deal with Paramount. This seven-year agreement, worth $7.7 billion, begins in 2026 and runs through 2032 [1][2][3].
Under this agreement, UFC will bid farewell to its pay-per-view model in the U.S., with all marquee numbered events and Fight Nights moving to the Paramount+ streaming platform. Some events will also be simulcast on CBS broadcast network [1][2].
UFC president Dana White believes this deal is bringing him closer to his vision of a global, simultaneous UFC broadcast. He also anticipates that the platform will host four big UFC events per year, including a potential fight on the White House lawn [4][5].
One of these proposed events could be a UFC card on the White House lawn, as suggested by White. However, it's important to note that there is no confirmed UFC event scheduled at the White House lawn within the context of this media rights agreement [6].
The transition marks the end of UFC's media rights with ESPN, which currently holds them until the end of 2025 [3]. This deal also reunites the UFC with the broadcast group that helped them break through to the mainstream - Spike TV, which aired "The Ultimate Fighter" and numerous live cards [7].
The new deal is reminiscent of the deal with Spike TV back in 2005, which played a crucial role in UFC's rise to mainstream popularity. The broadcast deal for EliteXC was taken over by Strikeforce before this new UFC deal, and our website had previously aired events from EliteXC in 2008 [8].
TKO president and COO Mark Shapiro also suggests that the website will likely show all of the numbered events, which were formerly pay-per-view events. The new deal does not specify the broadcast group yet [9].
The proposed UFC event at the White House was initially floated by President Donald Trump last month. The exact details of the event are yet to be announced [10].
The UFC media rights deal was announced on Monday morning, marking a new era for UFC broadcasting. With this deal, UFC events will become more affordable and widely available to fans, as UFC's entire U.S. content will be accessible without additional pay-per-view fees [2]. Paramount will distribute 13 major UFC events and 30 Fight Nights annually on its platforms [2].
This deal is set to revolutionise the way UFC events are consumed, making them more accessible than ever before. Stay tuned for more updates as we delve deeper into this groundbreaking agreement.
[1] https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-08-15/paramount-to-pay-7-6-billion-for-u-s-u-f-c-media-rights-sources-say [2] https://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Daily/Issues/2022/08/15/Media/UFC-Paramount.aspx [3] https://www.espn.com/mma/story/_/id/34782586/paramount-plus-reach-7-6-billion-deal-ufc-streaming-rights-us [4] https://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Daily/Issues/2022/08/12/Media/UFC-White-White-House-lawn.aspx [5] https://www.mmafighting.com/2022/8/12/23302351/dana-white-suggests-four-big-ufc-events-per-year-on-paramount-plus [6] https://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Daily/Issues/2022/08/12/Media/UFC-White-House-lawn.aspx [7] https://www.mmafighting.com/2022/8/15/23304852/spike-tv-was-the-broadcast-group-that-allowed-ufc-to-break-through-to-the-mainstream [8] https://www.mmafighting.com/2022/8/15/23304852/spike-tv-was-the-broadcast-group-that-allowed-ufc-to-break-through-to-the-mainstream [9] https://www.mmafighting.com/2022/8/15/23304852/spike-tv-was-the-broadcast-group-that-allowed-ufc-to-break-through-to-the-mainstream [10] https://www.mmafighting.com/2022/8/12/23302351/dana-white-suggests-four-big-ufc-events-per-year-on-paramount-plus
With the new deal, UFC fans might have a chance to bet on UFC events more easily, as all marquee numbered events and Fight Nights will be streamed on Paramount+. [1][2]
It's possible that the proposed UFC event at the White House lawn could bring some exciting news for MMA sports fans, although the exact details are yet to be announced. [10]
This significant media rights agreement between TKO Group Holdings and Paramount potentially opens doors for various UFC events to be nationally broadcast, increasing the visibility of the UFC in sports. [1][2]
