UFC has formally acknowledged its substantial change in broadcast strategy where all its television activities shall go to Paramount starting 2023. The change will bring cheaper fan-friendly means of viewers catching all the action.
UFC Media Rights Move to Paramount+
The decades long relationship between UFC and ESPN is ending after months of speculations and discussions with several networks. The current deal between the promotion and ESPN end this year, and talk of divorce has been circulating.
Rather than coming to a streaming giant such as Amazon Prime or Netflix, UFC has opted to sign up with Paramount+ as a new exclusive site in a seven-year agreement to the tune of a $7.7 billion. In this agreement, all UFC events in United States are included.
The companies affirmed the signing of a seven year media rights contract by Paramount, a corporation owned by Skydance together with TKO Group Holdings Inc., an uberMsportsleisure and entertainment company owned by UFC.
Originating in 2026, all the UFC programming, including some 13 big numbered events and 30 Fight Nights would be carried by Paramount+. CBS, Paramounts prime time broadcasting channel, will also broadcast some big fights.
UFC Fans save on Paramount+
It has regularly proven to be expensive as a fan to watch UFC on ESPN+. ESPN+ is payed at a subscription price of 11.99 per month or 119.99 yearly not mentioning an addition of price of pay-per-view events amounting to 79.99 per event. This turned out to be a costly sporting entertainment to most people who followed the events of UFC.
Paramount+ is an option which is significantly cheaper. Currently, Paramount+ is offered in its ad-supported version monthly at 7.99 dollars a month or yearly at 59.99 dollars a year compared with ad-free subscriptions offered at 12.99 dollars a month or 119.99 a year.
This new deal implies that premium events of the UFC, which are currently held as pay-per-views will now be included in a subscription to Paramount+ at no additional charge. This model is reminiscent of the model that WWE employs on Peacock, in which the significant events were opened to any subscriber without an extra charge.
A New Dawn of the UFC Broadcasts
Beginning in 2026 fight fans will be able to watch cards with lots of fights, such as this weekend UFC 319, without the additional misery of paying extra money in pay-per-view subscriptions. The change will also see the number of viewers rise as those disgusted by increased prices of UFC events take advantage.
Not only is the deal beneficial to the fans, but also an expansion of Paramount+ into the sports streaming market that exposes a larger audience to new UFC content.
Ariel Emanuel, Executive Chair and CEO of TKO, stated that it is a milestone and landmark transaction and takes UFC to the next level of a globally significant sports platform.
UFC Vision of the future with Paramount
Emanuel also thought about the evolution and future of the cooperation: “The past ten years of our work with UFC were characterized by active development and exploring new opportunities, and this agreement is one of their main achievements in implementation of our strategy.”
We attach tremendous faith in David vision and are eager to be in business with a company that will emphasize on the use of technology as a way of improving the level of story telling and the whole viewing experience.
This move marks a new era in UFC as fans can easily have access, watch what they want to see anywhere and below the cost. And all these are accompanied by an increased focus on the use of technology in displaying fights and experience.
ALSO READ: WWE Raw (August 11, 2025) Live Streaming: Schedule, Match Card, And How To Watch On Netflix
