Ottawa Senators Captain Brady Tkachuk Featured On NHL 26 Cover
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Forbes
16 minutes ago
- Forbes
UFC's Deal With Paramount Is Winning Move In Fight For Audiences
Ultimate Fighting Championship events will begin airing on Paramount starting in 2026, according to an announcement on Monday. With an average annual value of about $1.1 billion, the deal makes UFC one of the richest sports-related properties in the U.S. – behind the NFL, NBA and MLB in terms of media rights, but ahead of the NHL, Big Ten and SEC. And by eschewing its traditional pay-per-view approach, UFC may now finally capitalize on its enormous audience reach. Leaving Pay-Per-View Behind In a media environment where consumers are already paying hundreds of dollars per month to stream sports and entertainment content, paying for pay-per-view has become a tougher sell. Recent research from Global Event Management shows major boxing events have seen major pay-per-view event audiences dip 25% over the last decade. And TKO Group, which owns both UFC and WWE, has clearly been paying attention to those market dynamics. Just last week, WWE announced that traditional pay-per-view events like Royal Rumble and WrestleMania would move to ESPN platforms. Effectively, TKO has opted for broader exposure over exclusivity; something that could ultimately be a boon for both properties as the battle for attention and hours of sports programming gets progressively tougher. UFC, to its credit, already has a significant audience footprint despite the pay-per-view hurdle. YouTube data provided by Tubular Labs shows that as a creator property, UFC-owned pages had a combined 1.2 billion global minutes watched on YouTube in June 2025 – making it the No. 20 most-watched U.S. media and entertainment property for the month. It also reached 40.4 million global viewers, which was up 30% month-over-month and ranked No. 33 among U.S. media and entertainment properties. So the demand is clearly there. One could even argue the market has been largely under-served to-date given the barrier to entry pay-per-view creates. Streaming's Continued Evolution Paramount is also embarking on a bold move here to not just stand pat while Disney switches its approach to make ESPN one of the more essential subscriptions available. Between library entertainment content, plus premium sports like the NFL, college sports, golf and now UFC, Paramount is securing its own corner of the streaming landscape in a way that lets it legitimately compete with Disney and Netflix offerings. These recent media rights deals centering around TKO Group holdings, however, illuminate the latest evolution for all of these entertainment companies' streaming offerings. After years of streaming chasing exclusive programming, award wins and subscriber growth, these services are leaning more heavily on ads and popular content to simply look more like… TV again. Leaning into advertising and content that works for the general population has helped fuel profitability for these services where it once eluded them – see Sara Fischer's recent write-up in Axios Media Trends there. And recent announcements leaning on bundles are a greater focus on just getting these services in front of as many viewers as possible. The TKO Group deals, for both WWE and UFC, are yet another play toward that general population audience in a way that's unique compared to most of the other content offerings these services have. Without painting with too broad of a brush, both possess some appeal for audiences that streamers may have missed with prestige dramas, reality TV or franchise intellectual property. Streaming services are individually turning themselves into mini cable bundles, and consumers have to determine which one checks enough boxes for them to sign up as an add-on or substitute for traditional TV. The influx of bundles helps reduce that decision-making somewhat. But the bundles still need marquee programming that possesses either strong niche appeal or general-market focus. WWE and UFC rights help services like ESPN, Paramount+, Netflix and Peacock round out their audience graph in similar ways to recent team sports rights shifts, too. The NBA now airing in part on Amazon Prime Video makes the latter more essential, while games airing on Peacock as well this fall helps that service make its own case. ESPN's WWE addition is a major win for that service's launch. Adding regional MLB action next season could make for an even bigger splash; because it makes the service a crucial part of audiences' daily and weekly rituals for months on end. WWE and UFC come with built-in advantages much in the same way. Along with unique and possibly untapped audiences, they also bring ritualized behaviors as well. Dependable tune-in for major events and specific weekly bouts. It's almost as if viewers just want to know when and where to tune in to what they like watching, right? After years of losing the plot on that front, it appears TV's figuring it out once again.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
REPORT: Oilers Checked In On Top Goalie Prospect
EDMONTON – The worst-kept secret in hockey right now is the Edmonton Oilers' need for a goaltender. Recent comments from insider Cam Robinson suggest that the Oilers have poked around a couple of goaltender prospects outside of Michael DiPietro of the Boston Bruins and Nico Daws of the New Jersey Devils. Bookmark The Hockey News Edmonton Oilers team site to never miss the latest news, game-day coverage, and more. The Oilers rode Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard to the Stanley Cup Final for two straight seasons. After losing a second consecutive Final appearance, Oilers GM Stan Bowman identified goaltending as an area to improve this summer. Trending Oilers Stories Connor McDavid's Best Way Forward With Oilers EDMONTON -- The Edmonton Oilers and Connor McDavid stand to benefit from two unstoppable forces: a ballooning NHL salary cap and the pressure cooker of needing to win now. 4 Oilers Goalie Targets Better Than Carter Hart Oilers Spunky Defender Has Earned New Deal Oilers' Kris Knoblauch On Biggest Area To Get Better Matt Savoie's Role Could Shift if Oilers Chase Immediate Help Oilers Complete 2025 Offseason Guide: Trades, Signings, & More EDMONTON – The offseason is in full swing. Bowman addressed that need earlier in the offseason by letting goaltending coach Dustin Schwartz's contract expire and bringing on Peter Aubry from the Chicago Blackhawks organization. Robinson of Elite Prospects appeared on Monday's edition of The Sekeres and Price Show, a Vancouver Canucks focused radio show/podcast. On the August 11th episode, he focused on the Oilers goalie search and a few players the Oilers have checked in on. 'I believe the first person they asked about was Trey Augustine,' Robinson revealed on the show. 'I think that was just a non-starter. Steve Yzerman and company really love that kid.' 'But, they have a 6-foot-6, 6-foot-7 former first-rounder in Sebastian Cossa sitting there who's slowly been progressing.' Oilers Eyeing Trade for Former Oil Kings Goaltender? The Edmonton Oilers could be exploring a move to bolster their goaltending depth, and recent comments from team insider Bob Stauffer have sparked speculation that Detroit Red Wings prospect Sebastian Cossa might be a target. Trey Augustine is a 20-year-old goalie who is returning to Michigan State University in the NCAA this year. The 6-foot-1, 183 lb prospect was taken 41st overall in the 2023 draft. This past season, he posted a 2.08 goals against average (GAA), a .924 save percentage (SV%), three shutouts, and 19 wins in 30 games. On the other hand, Sebastian Cossa is listed as 6-foot-6 and 229 lb on the Detroit Red Wings website. The 15th overall pick of the 2021 draft played 41 games in the AHL and one NHL game. In the AHL, he boasted a record of 21-15-5 to go along with a 2.45 GAA, a .911 SV%, and one shutout. Cossa's NHL appearance came in relief of Ville Husso during the Red Wings' December 9th game against the Buffalo Sabres. In just over two periods of play, only two goals were scored on him on 14 shots. Who would you rather see the Oilers acquire: Augustine or Cossa? Let us know your thoughts by voting in the poll. Add us to your Google News favourites, and never miss a story.
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
Canadian Captain Keaton Verhoeff Explains Decision To Leave WHL For NCAA
The captain of Team Canada at the 2025 Hlinka Gretzky Cup is defenseman Keaton Verhoeff from Fort Saskatchewan, Alta., who is projected by many sources to be the second overall pick of next summer's NHL Entry Draft behind Gavin McKenna. 'Whenever you get to wear the leaf on your chest, it's just as big of an honor, but when you have a 'C' on top of it too, it's an honor for me, my family, and even for the guys around me, I'm super honored to be leading them,' said Verhoeff. Like McKenna, Verhoeff has made a decision that has only recently been available to Canadian Hockey League players – he's moving to the NCAA. It was a tough decision, however, as there's no existing blueprint for this path and no previous examples to follow. He explained his decision to move from the Victoria Royals, the team that had the best record in the WHL's B.C. Division last year, for the University of North Dakota Fighting Hawks, one of U.S. college hockey's perennial powerhouses. 'Victoria was an awesome experience,' Verhoeff began. 'A great place to play for the year. I learned so many things from the unbelievable coaching staff, my unbelievable teammates.' Ryan Lin On Canada's D: 'It's Unreal; Any One Of Us Can Play With Anyone' Projected to be a top-10 pick in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft, Ryan Lin of the Vancouver Giants is one of several elite defensemen on the Canadian team at this year's Hlinka Gretzky Cup. Verhoeff praised veteran defensemen Justin Kipkie, Nate Misskie and Cosmo Wilson and head coach James Patrick, a former NHL defenseman. 'I have nothing but good things to say about Victoria, but for me, to experience an opportunity to go to North Dakota to have a surrounding staff there that are so knowledgeable about everything, from nutrition, physical treatment, the weightlifting … It's all top-notch and professional. I think, for me, that was just too big of an opportunity to pass up.' In all likelihood, Verhoeff will only be playing one season of college hockey. 'I'm trying not to focus too much on June but, obviously, it's going to pop into the back of your head a bit,' he admitted, noting that he wants to 'just take it day by day and focus on what I can control.' Canada Edges Finland, Sweden Wins Big In Hlinka Gretzky Cup Openers Ethan Belchetz had three points and defensemen Keaton Verhoeff and Ryan Lin had two points each, leading Canada to a 5-3 opening-day victory over Finland at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup's Group A in Brno, Czechia.
