UFC and Paramount strike $7.7 billion deal
In a huge boost to fight fans, the deal will also see an end to the pay-per-view model which has traditionally been used with the UFC during their time at ESPN. ESPN had been paying an average of $500 million across a five year deal with the UFC - however that deal is set to run out at the end of 2025.
Paramount, meanwhile, will pay an average of $1.1bn per year for the broadcast rights and have signed a seven-year deal, which will begin in 2026. Therefore, fight fans can pay just $12.99 a month for Paramount+ to get access to every single UFC event that goes on throughout the calendar year.
The news was confirmed by UFC chief Dana White, who said in a statement: 'This historic deal with Paramount and CBS is incredible for UFC fans and our athletes. 'For the first time ever, fans in the US will have access to all UFC content without a pay-per-view model, making it more affordable and accessible to view the greatest fights on a massive platform.
'This deal puts UFC amongst the biggest sports in the world. The exposure provided by Paramount and CBS networks under this new structure is a huge win for our athletes and anyone who watches and loves this sport.' The agreement marks a huge shift in the live sport landscape, with Paramount eager to move into the scene, days after closing its $8.4bn merger with Skydance Media.
On Monday, Paramount CEO David Ellison said: 'Live sports continue to be a cornerstone of our broader strategy - driving engagement, subscriber growth, and long-term loyalty'. Reports claim that initial talks suggested that Paramount would buy the 30 'Fight Night' events and that the other premium numbered events would be sold elsewhere.
However, Ellison was reportedly keen on sealing the entire UFC package given the limited amount of sports right that are available in the country moving forward. The network also revealed that they are interested in buying the UFC's international rights, along with the current deal.
The UFC previously signed a $1.5billion deal with ESPN in 2019. However, the partnership led to much frustration around pay-per-view streaming glitches. During UFC 313 earlier in March, the issues continued to cause problems with viewers, prompting UFC chief Dana White to address them in a press conference.
'Oh yeah, it made it to me. They were having problems buying it on ESPN+. I don't know what happened with their platform tonight,' White said. 'There were a lot of pissed-off people.' Moreover, the UFC brass was reportedly unsatisfied with ESPN, while the network was unhappy with the pay-per-view numbers being 'way down' for UFC cards. Reports had suggested that Netflix was also frontrunner for the UFC media rights deal.
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