This article previously appeared on Medium.
A week after a landmark agreement for sister organization WWE, UFC has landed its own historic deal which will see its programming migrate to CBS and Paramount+ beginning in 2026.
TKO and Paramount have agreed to a seven-year, $7.7 billion deal which will see all UFC events stream on Paramount+ and select events air on CBS. If you’re thinking that number is insane, you’re not alone. Luke Thomas of DraftKings Network’s Morning Kombat pointed out an interesting nugget about the finances of the deal.
The UFC-Paramount deal is worth more than…Paramount. pic.twitter.com/0Gsp6ssJbm
— Luke Thomas🏋️♀️ (@lthomasnews) August 11, 2025
ESPN had been the exclusive U.S. home for UFC events since 2019, with that deal which saw events streamed live on ESPN+ as well as additional exposure to varying levels on ESPN’s various platforms set to expire at the end of the year. A significant repercussion of the Paramount agreement will be the end of the Pay-Per-View model for UFC fights, which was highlighted by Dana White in his statement on the historic deal.
Breaking News 🚨UFC has a new home in 2026 only on @paramountplus pic.twitter.com/FUQjemPnBS
— danawhite (@danawhite) August 11, 2025
The crew from The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz discussed the deal on Monday’s show, with Jonathan Zaslow saying it was a great day for UFC fans. After seeing what the WWE got for their PLEs, Zas said he was interested to see what UFC would get. And he didn’t have to wait too long for his answer — a WHOLE lot more.
"Apparently the pay-per-view model is a thing from a bygone era"
– @MichaelRyanRuiz on the Paramount / UFC deal pic.twitter.com/ThNmARGovm
— Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz (@LeBatardShow) August 11, 2025
As with WWE moving its PLEs to ESPN’s forthcoming DTC service, the move to CBS/Paramount+ will likely mean an increase in exposure for UFC, as White alluded to. Airing major events on network TV is sure to help gain UFC more casual eyeballs in the years to come.
Mike Ryan Ruiz agreed, adding on LeBatard that when you start making events more accessible, everyone is going to be paying more attention to the sport. He said that as someone who tried to follow the sport as best he could while not being able to justify paying PPV prices, this is big for him as it makes so he can now watch UFC events on a second screen, potentially allowing fights to catch his eye thanks to an increased ability to just watch casually.
Time will tell how this deal shifts the trajectory of the MMA heavyweight, but at first blush it seems like one can only consider it a knockout for fans who will have greater access to fights at a lower barrier to entry.
