News UFC Signs 7-Year, $7.7 Billion Dollar Deal for All US Rights to UFC's Product - PPV Model is Done with Events on CBS. (Details Inside)

[Substance Abuse]

The deal, according to a news release from the UFC and Skydance Corporation, which owns Paramount, is for $7.7 billion over seven years. The UFC's 13 annual pay-per-view events, plus 30 additional Fight Night events, will stream on Paramount+, its streaming platform. Additional events will be broadcast live on CBS, as well, which is Paramount's flagship network.

The days of UFC consumers purchasing pay-per-view events – which currently clock in at $79.99 each – will be over, at least for U.S.-based customers. A Paramount+ subscription ranges from $7.99 a month in the U.S. to $12.99 a month for plans without ads and that include Showtime. Discounts are available for annual subscriptions.

Paramount did not announce what pricing plans it has for when the UFC's deal starts, or if pricing will remain the same.

"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+," the company said in a release, adding that it will look at the UFC's non-U.S. broadcast deals when they become available.

To put the $1.1 billion annual revenue from Paramount to the UFC in perspective when it comes to broadcast rights, the NFL's current media rights deal is for around $10 billion a year spread out over several companies. That's an all-time record number, and the UFC's deal isn't remotely in that stratosphere.

But it does, however, approach the media rights deals of leagues like the NBA, which reportedly is worth north of $2.5 billion a year, and Major League Baseball, which earns around $1.5 billion annually for broadcast rights.

UFC CEO Dana White said in a statement on social media that the deal makes the UFC "amongst the biggest sports in the world."

UFC signs $7.7B broadcast deal with Paramount, PPV model will end in 2026

The UFC will have a new broadcast home starting in 2026, and it will mean the end of its pay-per-view model.

mmajunkie.usatoday.com

 

[Substance Abuse]

You cheap cans who cried for years can now get access to UFC's PPVs for the starting price point of $7.99.

If any of you cans have complaints about this, you're basically a woman, lol.

They're even putting events on CBS. What a time to be alive!

 

[nostradumbass]

Wow, no more PPVs is actually a pretty big deal

 

[jsbx45]

You cheap cans who cried for years can now get access to UFC's PPVs for the starting price point of $7.99.

If any of you cans have complaints about this, you're basically a woman, lol.

They're even putting events on CBS. What a time to be alive!

I'll be watching more events for sure.

"Huge win for our athletes"...LOL we'll see about that.

 

[surgeyou1]

The PPV buys must have been in the absolute toilet

Makes sense. Can't keep throwing out shit cards and expecting people to pay 80 bucks for it.

 

[BigTruck]

You cheap cans who cried for years can now get access to UFC's PPVs for the starting price point of $7.99.

If any of you cans have complaints about this, you're basically a woman, lol.

They're even putting events on CBS. What a time to be alive!

My question is are they still doing "numbered" events or will it all just be fight night style bc there's no need to "stack" a card anymore and what time will they start? The 10pm main card is horrible for my old ass.

 

[Substance Abuse]

My question is are they still doing "numbered" events or will it all just be fight night style bc there's no need to "stack" a card anymore and what time will they start? The 10pm main card is horrible for my old ass.

Zero complaints. None on this end. It's now cheaper than I could have ever imagined it would be.

 

[bng]

so much text, but there is no answer to the most important question - will russian links still be available?

 

[Captain Herb]

So champs get a share of... the gate or something?

 

[PrideNverDies]

Paramount+ might be the most dead streaming service. Good for Paramount, bad for UFC imo. Another dumb forced subscription service. Good about ppvs going away those are a thing of the past.

 

[Substance Abuse]

so much text, but there is no answer to the most important question - will russian links still be available?

It's 14 sentences. Holy shit. Lol.

 

[surgeyou1]

Paramount+ might be the most dead streaming service. Good for Paramount, bad for UFC imo. Another dumb forced subscription service. Good about ppvs going away those are a thing of the past.

Bad for the UFC to get over a billion dollars a year?

 

[Judge Lance Ito]

Let me guess, like the Reebok/Venum deal it's going to be worse for the fighters.

They won't even get PPV points anymore.

 

[Siver!]

Nice!

They telegraphed this with their sudden appeal for people to buy annual UFC Fight Pass subscriptions - hope none of you fell for that one!

 

[Substance Abuse]

Paramount+ might be the most dead streaming service. Good for Paramount, bad for UFC imo. Another dumb forced subscription service. Good about ppvs going away those are a thing of the past.

Does it matter if P+ is popular? I don't understand this gripe. What about it is bad for the UFC? They just got $1.1 billion a year. MLB only gets $1.5.

Big events will be on CBS. P+ is cheaper than ESPN+. It's $7.99. There's no more $80 PPVs. I think at this point, you guys just like to cry about things, lol.

 

[Staph infection]

They needed to go this way because the product is not worth buying as signed event PPV's. It is water down crap so putting it all on a single platform like this made the most sense and it is better for the UFC and the fans.

 

[jeff7b9]

You cheap cans who cried for years can now get access to UFC's PPVs for the starting price point of $7.99.

If any of you cans have complaints about this, you're basically a woman, lol.

They're even putting events on CBS. What a time to be alive!

As someone who will definitely continue to purchase the product with actual money as I have always done thru the appropriate channels this is very exciting news!!

 

[Ladder Master]

If they provide a good service for a reasonable price, I will happily pay it.

If they try some angle like you need to pay for the premium tier service AND then $20 to access the UFC content, I will stream away.

 

[AP_RESURRECTION]

A lot of people like myself have simply fallen out of the sport as it's been hard to follow and expensive and there are a lot of other options particularly on a Saturday. Def curious to see how this change influenced things, unless they are upping the price on paramount a ton, or other tricks we don't know about, this seems like a good thing for fans and will draw more attention from those of us who like the sport but not enough to buy every ppv or even stream it and risk skipping and all

 

[nostradumbass]

Let me guess, like the Reebok/Venum deal it's going to be worse for the fighters.

They won't even get PPV points anymore.

Fights just became way more accessible and fans don't have to pay $80 for PPVs anymore, and your first thought is to complain that the highest paid millionaires on the roster won't get PPV points anymore?