WWE Sister Company UFC Inks Huge PPV Deal With Paramount

After acquiring WWE a new PLE deal with ESPN last week that is worth $1.7 billion over the next five years, one would think that TKO Group Holdings could take a little bit of a breather. As it turns out, the WWE/ESPN agreement was only the tip of the iceberg for the media conglomerate, who today announced an even bigger deal for WWE's sister company, UFC.

Earlier today, TKO and Paramount announced a new media rights deal that will see UFC air on the streaming service Paramount+ starting in 2026. CNBC reports that the deal will be for seven years and $7.7 billion, with UFC receiving $1.1 billion per year, only slightly less than the money WWE is receiving in total for their deal with ESPN. Paramount will now have exclusive rights for 13 marquee UFC events and 30 "UFC Fight Nights;" all the events will stream on Paramount+, while select events will be simulcast on CBS.

The deal will effectively end UFC's PPV model, as Paramount+ will be offering UFC events without any additional charge beyond what they pay for the streaming service. TKO President and COO Mark Shapiro described the PPV model as "a thing of the past" in a statement regarding the media rights deal, and the deal with Paramount would allow fans of UFC to have "one-stop shopping" in regards to getting access to the product.

The move does take UFC back home in some ways, as the promotion first achieved fame airing on Spike TV, which has since gone on to become the Paramount Network, a key proponent of Paramount Media Networks. The deal also sees MMA return to CBS, which previously was in business with the defunct promotion Strikeforce in the late 2000s/early 2010s, before it was bought by UFC.