Paramount will become the new home to Ultimate Fighting Championship events across the U.S. next year, through a seven-year agreement announced with TKO Group on Monday.
Under the deal, Paramount will exclusively distribute the UFC’s full lineup of its 13 marquee numbered events and 30 “Fight Nights” on its streaming platform Paramount+ — with select numbered events also set to simulcast on CBS — starting in 2026.
It's a shift away from the UFC’s existing pay-per-view model, which Paramount and TKO say will allow the mixed martial arts programming reach more consumers nationwide.
UFC events currently air on ESPN — which has offered tiered pricing for fans to view content across the sports network's TV offerings and streaming platform ESPN+ since 2019. UFC's partnership with Disney-owned ESPN runs through the end of 2025.
The seven-year deal between Paramount and TKO has an average annual value of $1.1 billion, the companies said Monday — marking a notable jump from the roughly $550 million that ESPN reportedly pays each year for UFC coverage today.