Paramount Lands Exclusive UFC Streaming Rights in a Record-Breaking $7.7 Billion Deal
Paramount has made a historic move by securing the exclusive U.S. streaming rights to Ultimate Fighting Championship events. This groundbreaking seven-year deal, worth $7.7 billion, marks the company’s first major strategic move since its merger with Skydance Media. From 2026, Paramount+ will be the exclusive home for the complete U.S. slate of 13 major UFC events and 30 Fight Nights annually, with select events being simulcast on CBS.
The deal brings an end to ESPN’s pay-per-view model, making all UFC content available at no extra charge to Paramount+ subscribers for a monthly fee of $12.99. This is a significant departure from Disney’s ESPN current deal, which averaged $500 million annually and is set to expire at the end of 2025.
New Paramount CEO David Ellison hailed the acquisition as a “major win,” while UFC President Dana White emphasized that this is “the first time ever, fans in the U.S. will have access to all UFC content without a pay-per-view model.”
The agreement was swiftly negotiated in just 48 hours following the closure of the Skydance-Paramount merger on Thursday. TKO Group, the owner of UFC, also recently inked a five-year, $1.6 billion deal with ESPN for WWE premium live events.
Source: www.cnbc.com