Paramount Plus wasn’t on the radar for MMA fans as far as the new United States rightsholder for 2026 and beyond, but in August, the sports world was stunned when the UFC and Paramount came to terms on a seven-year, $7.7 million US media rights deal.
The UFC will continue to be featured on its outgoing rightsholder inside the United States of America, ESPN+, through the remainder of 2025. This new rights package came about even with ESPN+ being folded into a new, subscription-based streaming service in the latter half of August.
ESPN’s new streaming service notwithstanding, there are a number of major wins that the UFC has picked up with Paramount Plus with the impending deal. Let’s examine some of them right now.
Paramount Plus Era of UFC Cards Spells End of PPV Model
We’ll start off with the big win when it comes to Paramount Plus streaming UFC events. Effective with the 2026 UFC schedule, and continuing throughout the rest of its life, the custom of buying a flagship event by way of a pay-per-view commitment is a thing of the past.
Given that this upcoming deal is only valid for United States subscribers of the Paramount service, UFC fans in Canada and other countries still have to cough up the money when a marquee fight rolls around. Any diehard UFC fan in the United States can tell you one certainty about having to pay up for the numbered cards:
As the months go by and the numbered cards roll on, the cost really adds up. Here, with the new package on Paramount Plus, you need not worry about a PPV commitment every month.
All you’ll be needing is a subscription to the service and you’ll be set for everything over the next several years. Snacks and drinks for fight nights are sold separately, so you’ll be making those weekly runs to the grocery store in any event.
Paramount Plus Era of UFC Includes Selected Cards on CBS
Another big win for UFC fans in the wake of the Paramount deal is the fact that some cards over the next seven years will be accessible on linear television over the CBS television network. Imagine the possibilities here:
It’s a Saturday evening in the early part of the month of March. A college basketball conference championship game has just wrapped up. As another school’s men’s basketball program punches its ticket to March Madness, you hear the following on The Road to the Final Four postgame show:
“Stay right here on CBS because coming up next, we’ve got UFC action live from Las Vegas. We’ll see you tomorrow along The Road to the Final Four.”
While exact plans for how many UFC events are to be simulcast on CBS are unknown at press time and won’t be known for a while, having college basketball on in the afternoon on a winter Saturday and the UFC on in primetime may be reason enough to put your phone on silent for the entire day. It’s a sports fan’s dream come true.
Paramount Plus Latest in UFC’s Media Rights Evolution
Every time the UFC secures a new media rights deal, without fail, it spells the next step in the evolution of the promotion as a global brand. It took the UFC years to get on cable television after Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona, who likened the sport to “human cockfighting”, worked with the FCC to get the UFC events off of TV in the 1990s.
Once rulesets were finalized and safety measures were put into place, the promotion gained traction on cable and stayed there. The deal between the UFC and what’s now Paramount Network, which included the early seasons of The Ultimate Fighter television series, made certain that the promotion would be in the public eye for the long term.
Said media rights deal was followed up by a seven-year rights package on FOX Sports, running between November of 2011 and December of 2018, leading to the current deal between the UFC and ESPN. Each media package the UFC agrees to in the United States is one where the organization levels up.
The forthcoming deal between the UFC and Paramount Plus is another step in the right direction.
Final Thoughts: Fans are Big Winners With Paramount Plus Deal
Between 2026 and 2032, UFC fans are going to be most appreciative of the pact between the company and Paramount Plus. This deal is a knockout of the highest order.
UFC CEO Dana White has always put the fans of the sport first when media rights up for negotiation. This deal was no exception.
