The UFC has found a new broadcast home — and it’s a blockbuster move.
Starting in 2026, Paramount will serve as the exclusive U.S. destination for UFC content under a landmark seven-year agreement valued at more than $1.1 billion annually. The partnership, announced Monday, marks a major shift in how fans will watch the sport.
Under the new deal, the UFC’s traditional pay-per-view format will be retired. Instead, the promotion’s 13 flagship events each year will stream live on Paramount+, with select cards also airing simultaneously on CBS. In addition, the platform will carry 30 Fight Night cards annually, giving fans year-round access to the Octagon on one streaming service.
As part of the agreement, UFC and Paramount will move away from UFC’s existing Pay-Per-View model in favor of making these premium events available at no additional cost to the expansive U.S. subscriber base of Paramount+. 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 intends to explore UFC rights outside the U.S. as they become available in the future. - TKO and Paramount press release
“I couldn’t be more excited to join forces with Dana, Ari, and Mark. Rarely do opportunities arise to partner on an exclusive basis with a global sports powerhouse like UFC – an organization with extraordinary global recognition, scale, and cultural impact,” said David Ellison, Chairman and CEO of Paramount, in a statement. “Paramount’s advantage lies in the expansive reach of our linear and streaming platforms. 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. We look forward to delivering this premium content to millions of fans in the U.S., and potentially beyond.”
The switch to Paramount will officially bring the UFC’s run with ESPN to a close at the end of 2025. The promotion has been partnered with the sports network since 2019, a deal that was reportedly worth about $450 million annually.
