News Paramount buys UFC rights. PPV model is dead

[pamirec]

Alright, the main question: does it benefit the fighters? Hopefully things don’t get worse.

 

[nonoob]

Wonder what it means for Canada, as currently it's a flight pass early prelims, Canadian sports channel prelims and fight nights, and then PPV

Canadia audiences will be enamored with GSP dancing in a mankini to RUSH songs.

 

[payton]

Damn. 1.1 billion a year is wild. I don't see UFC being the reason over 7.5 million people subscribe to paramount plus

Fighter payroll won't see hardly any of that.

I've already got paramount plus because of walmart plus so this works for me. That poor algorithm tho. Our paramount plus is basically only used to play Paw Patrol for the kids. Paw Patrol to cage fights is a hell of a whiplash.

Switching from Paw Patrol to this is crazy.

 

[Hotora86]

Well it sucks because no PPV means less storytelling. We aren't really following a story telling, media content, podcasts, press conferences, one fighter calling the other out. Everyone's personality seems to have been rendered useless, it's like... A fantasy... Without PPV, it also means less incentive for the story between fights, sagas between fighters, rivalries, charisma from fighters. Also, less incentive to live events as well. Events / fights can be recorded and then broadcast later with ambience sound, rather than having a real moment feeling. Fights may even be just announced and streamed, like "fighters x and y are fighting in a week!" then ppl just access the streaming... And it might have been done a while ago so the UFC holds content to release them without a build up. This kinda sucks.

No more PPV + no more fake beefs and cringy shit talking?

WIN - WIN !!!

 

[BowserJr]

Wow!

Saw this while taking a dump.

Does it say when this starts?

Like will this weekend be on Paramount?

I have to go so I dont have time to read it

 

[milliniar]

Alright, the main question: does it benefit the fighters? Hopefully things don’t get worse.

 

[Humongo]

Now they can fill cards with wmma fights, and fighters won't have the added motivation to be put in PPV cards, earning a cut off it or anything.

 

[milliniar]

Wow!

Saw this while taking a dump.

Does it say when this starts?

Like will this weekend be on Paramount?

The ESPN deal goes till the end of the year by most reports so Jan 2026

 

[Rozko]

Im already working in IT and systems analysis

(which is how i post on sherdog all day)

I occasionally yell at firewalls and appease the machine spirits as well.

 

[grooves12]

I approve but I'm biased I already have paramount

Also this is a huge win for bar owners. Most of my local bars like Buffalo wild wings didn't show UFC fights because the ppv was to expensive.

Also another win for me I don't have to go to hooters ( and monitor my drinking) to watch a fight i can smashed at home

I think most bars don't show the fights because there isn't a legal model them to broadcast streaming services in a commercial environment. (Bars get changed a different rate for cable/satellite that is MUCH more expensive than to consumers.) That won't change with this move. Then there is the complication of hardware for making it work.

 

[sdpdude9]

My assumption is since no PPVs, we won’t get many huge events. But also less throwaways. Talent more evenly distributed.

 

[Mesos]

7.7 Billion holy shit lol, they must have had to fend off ESPN at that amount. I wasnt expecting them to fully dump the ppv model just cut back. Paramount made them an offer they couldn't refuse. ESPN DTC is fucked, their 30 dollar a month network needs more premium content.

 

[RockyLockridge]

My assumption is since no PPVs, we won’t get many huge events. But also less throwaways. Talent more evenly distributed.

Wishful thinking. I hope you're right

 

[swarrrm]

Does this mean we get to see the amount of viewers an event gets again? Hopefully for the sake of UFC is dying threads.

 

[RockyLockridge]

that is NOT what he said

 

[Mesos]

"Paramount will have a 30-day exclusive negotiating window for each country’s rights when they’re up for renewal, Shapiro said."

Damn they want all the global rights too. Paramount is going all in with UFC.

 

[fedorthegoat777]

All gone. Just hot dog branders.

Do they still get 50% off on Reebok fight kits though?

 

[don't ask]

Do they still get 50% off on Reebok fight kits though?

lol

Remember when fighters' corner men were given Reebok gear to wear on camera and then had to give them back after the fight?

 

[Bubzeh]

What will this mean for FightPass?

 

[Oscar Madison]

Damn. 1.1 billion a year is wild. I don't see UFC being the reason over 7.5 million people subscribe to paramount plus

Fighter payroll won't see hardly any of that.

I've already got paramount plus because of walmart plus so this works for me. That poor algorithm tho. Our paramount plus is basically only used to play Paw Patrol for the kids. Paw Patrol to cage fights is a hell of a whiplash.

Mods are Walmartians -- confirmed.