UFC Strikes A New $7.7 Billion Deal With Paramount

Paramount will become the new home to all Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) events in 2026 under a seven-year agreement with TKO Group, announced Monday.

Paramount is paying an average of $1.1 billion per year, totaling $7.7 billion for the UFC. Under the deal, Paramount will exclusively distribute the UFC’s full slate of its 13 marquee numbered events and 30 “Fight Nights” on its streaming platform, Paramount+. A select number of events are also set to simulcast live on CBS in 2026.

No More Pay-Per-Views

As part of the agreement, UFC and Paramount will move away from UFC’s existing pay-per-view model. Instead, the events will be available at no additional cost to Paramount+’s U.S. subscribers. This shift in distribution strategy “will unlock greater accessibility and discoverability for sports fans and provide an important catalyst for driving engagement and further subscriber growth for Paramount+,” Paramount and TKO said.

Paramount will not charge users any additional fees for access to the events, completely eliminating the pay-per-view model that ESPN+ has used.

“The pay-per-view model is a thing of the past,” said Mark Shapiro, TKO Group’s president and chief operating officer, in an interview. “What’s on pay-per-view anymore? Boxing? Movies on DirecTV? It’s an outdated, antiquated model. So, it was paramount to us – forgive the pun – where it’s one-stop shopping, especially for our younger fans in flyover states. When they find out, ‘Wait, if I just sign up for Paramount+ for $12.99 a month, I’m going to automatically get UFC’s numbered fights and the rest of the portfolio?’ That’s a message we want to amplify.”

New Cost To Be A UFC Fan

With the UFC ditching the PPV model in 2026, watching every fight just became seven times cheaper as a fan. Below are the annual costs of being a mixed martial arts fan in both eras:

What it costs to be a UFC fan during the ESPN+ Era: $1080

What it will cost in 2026: $150

Paramount buys UFC rights in $7.7 billion, 7-year deal in first major move post-Skydance merger

Paramount+ subscriptions costing from $7.99-$12.99 a month. It’s become incredibly cheaper for all fans. This move alone will draw in a whole new audience to the sport.