Latest news with #UFC-Paramount
USA Today
5 days ago
- Business
- USA Today
Michael Chandler says UFC-Paramount deal 'nothing but good' for fighter pay
There are many unknowns about the new UFC-Paramount broadcasting deal that have raised concerns in the MMA community. However, UFC star Michael Chandler assures there's nothing to worry about. Monday, the UFC announced their new broadcasting deal – a seven-year partnership with Paramount worth $7.7 billion. There were no details on whether the UFC fighters will get a share of that money, but they're not expected to, as shown in past UFC broadcasting deals. A new concern, that didn't exist in previous deals, is the money UFC champions earned through pay-per-view buys, as the promotion is set to air their numbered events for free on Paramount. The UFC has not clarified if there will be a compensation for pay-per-views no longer being a revenue stream for fighters. Chandler, a former Bellator champion now fighting in the UFC lightweight division, believes the UFC-Paramount deal is good news for fighter pay, and is confident the promotion will take care of its champions. He calls for patience as more details on the new UFC broadcasting deal emerge. "I think the UFC is a lot more fair than people give them credit for," Chandler explained on "The Ariel Helwani Show." "That's what I would say. I think there's going to be public pressure, there's going to be corporate pressure, there's going to be media pressure when you sign a deal of this magnitude. I do think so. I'm sure the phone has rung off the hook. Managers are calling, fighters are calling, 'Hey, you're signing billions of dollars a year per deal. I want to renegotiate my contract.' "Things take time. This thing just got announced a little over 24 hours ago. Let a little of the dust to settle. Everybody worry about the thing they can control, which is taking care of themselves right now and training right now, but ultimately I think this is nothing but good for the sport for everybody involved. I think the fighters ultimately just like 30 years into the NFL, just like 30 years into the MLB, just like 30 years into every major sport, the money will continue to grow, but it can't just grow overnight. So a little bit of patience. The best thing you can do for yourself is make yourself an indispensable asset to your promoter, making yourself a indispensable asset to the people that have put money behind you when it comes to endorsements, when it comes to getting on microphones, when it comes to using your platform, when it comes to building a fan base oust die of just punching people in the face in a cage. And if you can do that, and you can do it with class and integrity, the money will continue to multiply." The UFC's lack of clarity around what the new Paramount deal means for champions' pay-per-view points and fighter pay in general does not bother Chandler. He says that's how UFC operates, and remains confident that he and his fellow fighters will get taken care of. "There's a lot more money happening inside the UFC and the sport of mixed martial arts than the UFC will ever gloat about, than the UFC will ever brag about," Chandler said. "That's just the way they like it. That's just the way they run their business. I think a lot of us are doing pretty fine."
USA Today
5 days ago
- Business
- USA Today
Georges St-Pierre skeptical of what killing PPV could mean for UFC fighters
One of the biggest stars of his era, UFC Hall of Famer Georges St-Pierre knows just how important the pay-per-view model was to his earning potential financially during his illustrious career. And with the impending UFC-Paramount era signaling the death of pay-per-view, he isn't so sure it's a good thing for the fighters. 'It could be good for the UFC as a promoter, terrible for the fighters," St-Pierre told Covers. The UFC and Paramount on Monday announced a massive seven-year, $7.7 billion broadcast deal that begins in 2026. It gives Paramount exclusive rights to the UFC's 43 annual events, including 13 "marquee" numbered events, which will be available to anyone with a Paramount+ subscription, effectively ending the pay-per-view model that's been integral to the UFC's business since its inception in 1993. While the change has been viewed as a positive for fans who no longer have to pay $79.99 for a UFC pay-per-view, there's still no clarity on what it means for fighters, especially champions and select big names who've been used to receiving a cut of pay-per-view sales as part their contracts. During his UFC welterweight championship reign from 2008 to 2013, St-Pierre largely carried the promotion on his back as its top draw, with UFC president Dana White in 2011 declaring him "by far the biggest pay-per-view star in mixed martial arts." Speaking from experience, St-Pierre simply wonders how top fighters, who otherwise would've earned pay-per-view points, will be able to do business with the UFC moving forward. "When I was competing, I was able to have a great argument to negotiate on my contract,' St-Pierre said. 'I could tell the UFC, 'Hey, if you want me to do all the promotion, I want to become a partner. I want a piece of the pie to negotiate a part of the pay-per-view revenue. Because if I'm doing all the promotion, I'm helping you, but you need to help me. You need to make me a partner.' So it might be a bad thing for the fighters in a way that they have less leverage. ... 'That's what I think. I think it's going to take off some leverage for the big names to have an argument to negotiate more money.' Fellow UFC Hall of Famer Chris Weidman predicts there will be "bigger guaranteed payouts" for UFC champions." Whether that ultimately happens remains to be seen and even then, fighters might not know if it truly offsets what they could've earned through direct cuts of pay-per-view sales.
USA Today
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
The biggest question facing UFC fighters after Paramount deal: What about PPV points?
Upon hearing Monday's news of the UFC's seven-year, $7.7 billion broadcast deal with Paramount, UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall was pleased – until he gave it a little more thought. "Well, that's amazing news. When does that come into play?" Aspinall said on "The Ariel Helwani Show." "Or is it amazing news for guys who are getting pay-per-view points, like yours truly?" That is the question. Starting in 2026, the UFC will stream its 43 annual events exclusively on Paramount+. Among them are 13 "marquee numbered events," including four designated "big" events (Dana White's word) that will also air on CBS, Paramount's flagship network. Perhaps the most significant aspect the UFC-Paramount deal is that the two parties have decided to ditch pay-per-view altogether. Simply paying for a Paramount+ subscription is all that will be needed to access every UFC event. While that might be music to the ears of UFC fans, what about the fighters – typically champions and big-name stars – who earn money through pay-per-view points? That aspect was not addressed in the UFC-Paramount announcement, nor by White in his Monday interviews with CBS Sports and "The Pat McAfee Show," leaving fighters like Aspinall – who was just promoted to undisputed champion in June after Jon Jones relinquished the title – in the dark. "This is absolutely breaking news to me. I have no idea," Aspinall said. "Guys like Ilia Topuria, etc., they are like established pay-per-view stars. I'm not really a pay-per-view star yet. … I don't know because I'm not a massive pay-per-view star, I'm not selling a million pay-per-views, but I intend to. So, how does that work? I don't know. I'm not sure." Jake Paul's advice to UFC fighters after Paramount deal Since UFC fighters are not unionized, they were not represented during negotiations for a new broadcast deal and won't receive a direct cut percentage of the $7.7 billion from the broadcast deal – unlike athletes in the NFL, Major League Baseball and other prominent sports leagues. The UFC's pay-per-view sales have been shrouded in mystery throughout the ESPN era, making it difficult to approximate what the promotion's annual revenue is. With the elimination of the pay-per-view model, that becomes a little bit easier, which Jake Paul – who, for years, has been highly vocal about UFC fighter pay – was quick to remind fighters in a post on X. "Every fighter in the UFC now has a clear picture of what the revenue more PPV excuses," Paul wrote. "Get your worth boys and girls." That'll be easier said than done.
