Paramount, a Skydance Corporation, and TKO Group, the sports and entertainment company, have announced a seven-year media rights – agreement valued at $1.1 billion (€0.95bn) per season – which will see Paramount become the exclusive home of all UFC events in the US.

Starting in 2026, Paramount will exclusively distribute UFC’s full slate of 13 marquee numbered events and 30 Fight Nights via its direct-to-consumer streaming platform, Paramount+, with select numbered events to be simulcast on CBS, Paramount’s broadcast network.

As part of the agreement, UFC and Paramount will move away from UFC’s existing Pay-Per-View model in favour of making these premium events available at no additional cost to the expansive US subscriber base of Paramount+. This shift in distribution strategy aims to unlock greater accessibility and discoverability for sports fans and provide an catalyst for driving engagement and further subscriber growth for Paramount+. Paramount said it intends to explore UFC rights outside the US as they become available in the future.

“I couldn’t be more excited to join forces with Dana, Ari, and Mark. Rarely do opportunities arise to partner on an exclusive basis with a global sports powerhouse like UFC – an organisation with extraordinary global recognition, scale, and cultural impact,” said David Ellison, Chairman and CEO of Paramount. “Paramount’s advantage lies in the expansive reach of our linear and streaming platforms. Live sports continue to be a cornerstone of our broader strategy — driving engagement, subscriber growth, and long-term loyalty, and the addition of UFC’s year-round must-watch events to our platforms is a major win. We look forward to delivering this premium content to millions of fans in the US, and potentially beyond.”

“This is a milestone moment and landmark deal for UFC, solidifying its position as a preeminent global sports asset,” said Ariel Emanuel, Executive Chair and CEO, TKO. “Our decade-long journey with UFC has been defined by continuous growth and expansion, and this agreement is an important realisation of our strategy. We believe wholeheartedly in David’s vision and look forward to being in business with a company that will prioritise technology as a means to enhance storytelling and the overall viewing experience.”

“Paramount is a platinum partner with significant reach,” added Mark Shapiro, President and COO, TKO. “Our new agreement unlocks powerful opportunities at TKO for years to come – meaningful economics for investors; expanded premium inventory for global brand partners; and deeper engagement for UFC’s passionate fanbase. Just as importantly, our athletes will love this new stage.”

UFC events take place year-round with approximately 43 live events annually, delivering more than 350 hours of live event content. The seven-year term, which begins in 2026, has an aforementioned average annual value of $1.1 billion. The contract’s payment schedule is weighted more toward the back end of the deal.

Responding to the deal, technology, media and telecommunications research firm LightShed said: “[…[ for TKO, the most important thing is that the numbered fights are no longer behind an expensive paywall [in the US].  As we have said numerous times, the UFC’s PPV price point was way too high. In turn, not enough people were exposed to UFC’s best content. That will change with this deal. Paramount+ price point is only $12.99 ($7.99 ad-free) per month.  Importantly, we also expect that most numbered fights will be simulcast on CBS broadcast dramatically widening the reach and exposure of UFC content. We would also expect serious cross-promotion from CBS during the NFL, NCAA Tournament, Masters, CBS’s other sports properties and the breadth of new entertainment content we expect to see from new Paramount+ boss Cindy Holland.”

“Licensing UFC rights is the second bold content move in the past week from the new Paramount Skydance team, following the decision to shift South Park from HBO Max to Paramount+. Whether or not these are standalone accretive investments is TBD, however, they clearly signal how long-term and BIG, team Ellison is thinking. They are not playing for near-term earnings outperformance, they are trying to create a long-term imprint on the future of the media industry to win,” added LightShed.

Vikrant Mathur, Co-Founder at streaming technology provider Future Today, commented: “The UFC-Paramount+ deal is a watershed moment for the streaming industry – not just because of its scale, but because it marks the end of an era for pay-per-view. Live sports are no longer just ‘nice-to-have’ add-ons – they’re the central pillar of subscriber strategy for major platforms. As streamers shift toward bundling blockbuster live events with general entertainment, it will create even more white space for platforms like ours to serve the audiences and advertisers that still crave breadth, affordability and brand-safe environments. This is the streaming ecosystem rebalancing in real time—and it’s creating enormous opportunities for niche, creator-driven and family-friendly services to lead.”

Other posts by :

1. SES announces €0.25c dividend
2. Russia “blinding and destroying” German satellites
3. Bank: AST, Starlink, Kuiper targeting $200bn market
4. Rivada: Is no news good news?
5. SES celebrates Intelsat acquisition
6. Pakistan halts broadband direct-from satellite
7. India stymies Starlink launch
8. Starlink, AST SpaceMobile race for cellular consumers
9. Trouble ahoy for foreign D2D satellites over India?

Categories: Articles, Content, Rights

Tags: paramount, tko, ufc, usa