The UFC has a new U.S. broadcast home from 2026. Paramount has secured a seven-year deal worth $7.7 billion. The agreement, announced by parent company TKO on Monday, gives the MMA giant $1.1 billion a year.
The deal, made with Skydance Corporation, will put most events on Paramount+. Select numbered cards will also air on CBS.
It ends the promotion’s long-running relationship with ESPN, which held the domestic rights since 2018. Amazon and Netflix also lost out in the bidding.
CBS and Paramount+ will carry UFC’s 13 marquee events and 30 “Fight Night” shows each year. For fans, the biggest change is the end of ESPN’s pay-per-view model. All UFC content will now be included in subscriptions.
“The historic deal with Paramount and CBS is incredible for UFC fans and our athletes,” UFC president Dana White said.
“For the first time ever, fans in the U.S. will have access to all UFC content without a Pay-Per-View model. It will be more affordable and accessible to view the greatest fights on a massive platform.”
TKO hail UFC Paramount agreement
TKO Executive Chair and CEO Ari Emanuel called the agreement “an important realization of our strategy” after a decade of growth.
“We believe wholeheartedly in David’s vision and look forward to being in business with a company that will prioritize technology. This will enhance storytelling and the overall viewing experience,” he said.
The deal comes less than a week after Paramount’s merger with David Ellison’s Skydance. That deal closed after more than a year of political wrangling and FCC approval.
Ellison has made clear he wants to boost Paramount+ subscriptions and viewing time. He has singled out premium sports rights as a key driver.
It also follows another major TKO move earlier this year, when the company struck a lucrative deal to bring WWE programming to Netflix from 2025. Together, the two agreements give TKO’s flagship brands huge global streaming reach.
Paramount’s UFC move has drawn mainly positive reactions online. Many fans welcome the end of the pay-per-view model.
For the company, it is a rare PR win after headlines about the cancellation of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert in 2026 and subscriber losses in the most recent quarter.
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