Skydance-owned Paramount will become the exclusive U.S. home of Ultimate Fighting Championship under a seven-year media rights deal valued at about $7.7 billion, marking the first major strategic move by the merged media giant under new CEO David Ellison.

Starting next year, Paramount+ will carry the complete U.S. slate of 13 numbered UFC events and 30 Fight Nights. UFC, owned by TKO Group Holdings, will also have select numbered cards simulcast on Paramount’s CBS broadcast network, the companies announced today.

The deal builds on Ellison’s commitment to increase investment in high-quality exclusive content, which he had called the “single biggest driver of subscriber growth”.

Sports content has become the cornerstone of media strategy, as cord-cutting accelerates, with rivals such as

See Full Page