Latest news with #TKO Group
CNA
a day ago
- Business
- CNA
Paramount to become exclusive US home for UFC in $7.7 billion rights deal
Skydance-owned Paramount will become the exclusive U.S. home of Ultimate Fighting Championship under a seven-year media rights deal valued at about $7.7 billion, marking the first major strategic move by the merged media giant under new CEO David Ellison. Starting next year, Paramount+ will carry the complete U.S. slate of 13 numbered UFC events and 30 Fight Nights. UFC, owned by TKO Group Holdings, will also have select numbered cards simulcast on Paramount's CBS broadcast network, the companies announced on Monday. The deal builds on Ellison's commitment to increase investment in high-quality exclusive content, which he had called the "single biggest driver of subscriber growth". Sports content, has become the cornerstone of media strategy, as cord-cutting accelerates, with rivals such as Netflix and Disney also striking similar deals to strengthen their offerings. Netflix secured a $5 billion, 10-year global deal for WWE Raw from 2025 and added two NFL Christmas Day games. Disney's ESPN extended rights with NFL, NHL, MLB and College Football Playoff. "The addition of UFC's year-round must-watch events to our platforms is a major win," Ellison said, calling UFC a "global sports powerhouse". Paramount will pay an average of $1.1 billion a year to TKO Group and include events at no extra cost to subscribers, shifting away from UFC's traditional pay-per-view model. It may seek UFC rights in other markets as they come up for bidding. "They are not playing for near-term earnings outperformance, they are trying to create a long-term imprint on the future of the media industry to 'win,'" LightShed Partners analysts said. UFC stages about 43 live events a year, reaching roughly 100 million U.S. fans and nearly 950 million households globally. Its slate includes marquee-numbered card events like UFC 300, and weekly Fight Nights. Paramount and Skydance completed their $8.4 billion merger last week, capping a drawn-out deal process marked by political scrutiny and shareholder concerns.
Reuters
a day ago
- Business
- Reuters
Paramount to become exclusive US home for UFC in $7.7 billion rights deal
Aug 11 (Reuters) - Skydance-owned Paramount will become the exclusive U.S. home of Ultimate Fighting Championship under a seven-year media rights deal valued at about $7.7 billion, marking the first major strategic move by the merged media giant under new CEO David Ellison. Starting next year, Paramount+ will carry the complete U.S. slate of 13 numbered UFC events and 30 Fight Nights. UFC, owned by TKO Group Holdings (TKO.N), opens new tab, will also have select numbered cards simulcast on Paramount's CBS broadcast network, the companies announced on Monday. The deal builds on Ellison's commitment to increase investment in high-quality exclusive content, which he had called the "single biggest driver of subscriber growth". Sports content, has become the cornerstone of media strategy, as cord-cutting accelerates, with rivals such as Netflix (NFLX.O), opens new tab and Disney (DIS.N), opens new tab also striking similar deals to strengthen their offerings. Netflix secured a $5 billion, 10-year global deal for WWE Raw from 2025 and added two NFL Christmas Day games. Disney's ESPN extended rights with NFL, NHL, MLB and College Football Playoff. "The addition of UFC's year-round must-watch events to our platforms is a major win," Ellison said, calling UFC a "global sports powerhouse". Paramount will pay an average of $1.1 billion a year to TKO Group and include events at no extra cost to subscribers, shifting away from UFC's traditional pay-per-view model. It may seek UFC rights in other markets as they come up for bidding. "They are not playing for near-term earnings outperformance, they are trying to create a long-term imprint on the future of the media industry to 'win,'" LightShed Partners analysts said. UFC stages about 43 live events a year, reaching roughly 100 million U.S. fans and nearly 950 million households globally. Its slate includes marquee-numbered card events like UFC 300, and weekly Fight Nights. Paramount and Skydance completed their $8.4 billion merger last week, capping a drawn-out deal process marked by political scrutiny and shareholder concerns.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Paramount Sets 7-Year, $7.7 Billion UFC Rights Deal With TKO Group To Boost Paramount+
The new Paramount has inked a major seven-year media rights agreement worth an average $1.1 billion annually with TKO Group to become the exclusive home of all UFC events in the U.S. starting in 2026. Paramount, newly merged with David Ellison's Skydance, will exclusively distribute UFC's full slate of 13 marquee numbered events and 30 Fight Nights via its direct-to-consumer streaming platform, Paramount+, with select numbered events to be simulcast on CBS. More from Deadline Paramount Shifting Its Corporate Headquarters To L.A., Keeping Skydance Base In Santa Monica New Paramount Weighing All Streaming Options, CEO David Ellison Says, In Charting A Tech-Forward Path New Paramount Ready To Sell National Amusements As part of the agreement, UFC and Paramount will move away from UFC's existing pay-per-vbiew model in favor of making these premium events available at no additional cost to Paramount+ U.S. subscribers. This shift in distribution strategy, they said, will unlock greater accessibility and discoverability for sports fans and provide an important catalyst for driving engagement and further subscriber growth for Paramount+. Paramount intends to explore UFC rights outside the U.S. as they become available in the future. '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, referring to TKO CEO Ari Emanuel, President and COO Mark Shapiro and UFC CEO Dana White. '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.' Ellison's Skydance Media investor group closed its acquisition of a controlling stake of Paramount Global from Shari Redstone August 4. He's been spotted attending UFC fights during the past few months. 'This is a milestone moment and landmark deal for UFC, solidifying its position as a preeminent global sports asset,' said Emanuel. 'Our decade-long journey with UFC has been defined by continuous growth and expansion, and this agreement is an important realization of our strategy. We believe wholeheartedly in David's vision and look forward to being in business with a company that will prioritize technology as a means to enhance storytelling and the overall viewing experience.' 'Paramount is a platinum partner with significant reach,' said Shapiro. 'Our new agreement unlocks powerful opportunities at TKO for years to come – meaningful economics for investors; expanded premium inventory for global brand partners; and deeper engagement for UFC's passionate fanbase. Just as importantly, our athletes will love this new stage.' MORE Best of Deadline Everything We Know About Lady Gaga's 'Wednesday' Season 2 Role So Far 2025 TV Series Renewals: Photo Gallery 2025 TV Cancellations: Photo Gallery
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Paramount Nabs UFC Rights in Major $7.7 Billion Deal, MMA Events to Peel Off From ESPN in 2026
David Ellison, the new CEO of Paramount, pinned a major new deal for the media company he's taken over. Paramount Skydance on Monday announced a seven-year media rights agreement with TKO Group under which Paramount+ will become the exclusive home of all UFC events in the U.S. — pulling the mixed martial arts events from ESPN. Disney's ESPN had secured a deal that, starting in 2019, featured the MMA promoter's matchups on TV and pay-per-view in ESPN+. More from Variety How to Watch UFC Fight Night: Dolidze vs. Hernandez Live Online Without Cable for Free Timothée Chalamet Motocross Heist Movie Lands at Paramount, Reuniting Him With 'A Complete Unknown' Director James Mangold Paramount Sets Pay for New CEO David Ellison, President Jeff Shell The seven-year term, which begins in 2026, has an average annual value of $1.1 billion, with an overall value of $7.7 billion over that period. The contract's payment schedule is 'weighted more toward the back end of the deal,' according to the companies. Starting in 2026, Paramount will exclusively distribute UFC's full slate of 13 annual marquee numbered events and 30 Fight Nights via the Paramount+ streaming platform. Select numbered UFC events will be simulcast on CBS, according to the companies. As part of the agreement, UFC and Paramount will move away from UFC's existing pay-per-view model — and instead, the events will be available at no additional cost to Paramount+'s U.S. subscribers. This shift in distribution strategy 'will unlock greater accessibility and discoverability for sports fans and provide an important catalyst for driving engagement and further subscriber growth for Paramount+,' Paramount said. Paramount said it plans to explore acquiring UFC rights outside the U.S. as they become available in the future. 'I couldn't be more excited to join forces with Dana, Ari, and Mark,' Ellison said in a statement, referring to UFC CEO Dana White, TKO Group chief Ari Emanuel and Mark Shapiro, TKO's president and COO. Ellison continued, '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. 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.' Emanuel, executive chair and CEO of TKO, said in a statement, 'This is a milestone moment and landmark deal for UFC, solidifying its position as a preeminent global sports asset. Our decade-long journey with UFC has been defined by continuous growth and expansion, and this agreement is an important realization of our strategy. We believe wholeheartedly in David's vision and look forward to being in business with a company that will prioritize technology as a means to enhance storytelling and the overall viewing experience.' Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week What's Coming to Disney+ in August 2025 What's Coming to Netflix in August 2025
Wall Street Journal
a day ago
- Business
- Wall Street Journal
Skydance's Paramount Lands UFC Rights in $7.7 Billion Deal
Skydance's Paramount PARAA -5.37%decrease; red down pointing triangle has struck a seven-year, $7.7 billion deal with TKO Group TKO 1.59%increase; green up pointing triangle for exclusive media rights for all Ultimate Fighting Championship matches in the U.S. starting next year, the companies said. Under the terms, the Paramount+ streaming service will carry UFC's slate of 13 marquee events and will also have rights to 30 'Fight Nights.' In addition, Paramount can simulcast some fights on its sister broadcast network CBS on Saturday nights.
