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The UFC will have a new home in 2026 and a new way of showing its events.
Paramount announced a seven-year $7.7 billion deal with the UFC to bring MMA fighting to CBS and Paramount+ next year on Aug. 11, 2026.
The deal will give Paramount+ exclusive rights to broadcast 30 UFC Fight Nights and 13 marquee events each year, with CBS set to simulcast select events.
“Paramount’s advantage lies in the expansive reach of our linear and streaming platforms,” David Ellison, chairman and CEO of Paramount, said in a statement. “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.”
Pay-per-view model out for UFC with move to Paramount in 2026
Sportico reported that the deal doubles the annual value of UFC’s current broadcast deal in the U.S with ESPN+, which has a pay-per-view model to show UFC events.
The new deal will not be pay-per-view, allowing the MMA events to reach a wider audience on CBS and Paramount+, the streaming service for CBS.
UFC’s deal with ESPN ends this year.
Paramount has been busy. In July, the FCC approved a merger between Paramount Global and Skydance Media.
It also appears to not be done. In a statement, Paramount said it intended to explore acquiring UFC rights outside of the U.S. in the future.
Reach Jeremy Cluff at jeremy.cluff@arizonarepublic.com. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter @Jeremy_Cluff.
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