UFC Changes Home: Goodbye to ESPN, Hello to Paramount+

Photo by Haribhagirath, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) has found a new home on Paramount+. TKO Group and Paramount announced a deal granting Paramount streaming rights for the next seven years, beginning in 2026.

With this agreement, the platform streaming Paramount's Paramount+ will feature exclusive content from the TKO Group, including fights, tournaments, and special events. CBS will broadcast select events simultaneously.

Paramount CEO David Ellison shared his excitement about the deal in a official statement:

“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 must-see UFC events year-round on our platforms is a major win.”

A New Era of the UFC

This agreement represents a structural change in the way martial arts fans can enjoy their favorite content. Traditionally, the UFC has operated on a pay-per-view basis. Under this system, viewers pay to watch a specific event, usually live.

The switch to Paramount+ means that, instead of paying for each event, UFC fans only have to pay for a subscription to that platform, which will give them access to all TKO Group content. It also gives them access to the Paramount+ content library, including exciting shows like ICarly and Halo.

The UFC is currently broadcast on ESPN, a channel owned by Disney. ESPN offers several payment methods for watching the UFC, including several tiers with various offers. 

CNBC reports This deal will cost Paramount $1.1 billion. However, the entertainment company's leadership seems pleased with the results of its negotiations:

“The pay-per-view model is a thing of the past. What’s left in pay-per-view these days? Boxing? Movies on DirecTV? It’s an antiquated and outdated model. That’s why it was critical for us to [pardon the pun] to offer a one-stop shop, especially for our younger fans in the less central states. When they hear, ‘Wait, if I just subscribe to Paramount+ for $12.99 a month, I’m automatically going to get the numbered UFC fights and the rest of the catalog,’ that’s a message we want to amplify.” – Mark Shapiro, COO of TKO Group.

Until next year, the UFC will continue to be broadcast on ESPN and Disney.

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Sources:

• AP NEWS
• CNBC