UFC and Paramount+ strike landmark exclusive media rights deal, ending Pay-Per-View model

Paramount+ will be the new home of all UFC numbered events and Fight Nights beginning in 2026 as part of a seven-year media rights agreement announced Monday by Paramount -- a Skydance Corporation -- and TKO Group Holdings.

Select marquee fights will also be simulcast on CBS as UFC moves away from its current pay-per-view distribution model. 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+.

It's a monumental move for UFC that "will unlock greater accessibility and discoverability for sports fans and provide an important catalyst for driving engagement and further subscriber growth for Paramount+," according to a release.

"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 organization 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 U.S., and potentially beyond."

UFC signed an exclusive TV deal with ESPN in 2018 that saw the company begin to air fights in 2019. That deal was set to expire at year's end.