Skydance acquired exclusive US rights to stream UFC fights on Paramount+ with a seven-year deal valued at $7.7 billion in the company’s first major move since a merger with Paramount that cost Stephen Colbert his job closed less than a week ago.
That doubles what Disney has paid UFC annually to show fights on ESPN+ and signals the end of the pay-per-view model the mixed martial arts org had embraced for decades:
- Under its current ESPN+ deal, which expires next year, fans need to pay for both the base monthly streaming subscription ($12) and additional PPV fees to watch the bigger events.
- Once the new partnership begins in 2026, fans of blood-soaked grappling will need only to pay $8–$13 per month for Paramount+, with zero additional costs, to see 13 marquee events and 30 “Fight Nights.” Some fights will be simulcast on linear CBS.
Churn notice: UFC operates year-round with no offseason, which means UFC fans are less likely to cancel subscriptions compared to other sports fans. Per Nielsen, Paramount needs that boost, as its streamers accounted for a punchless 2% of TV viewing time in the US in June, trailing far behind Netflix (8.3%) and YouTube (12.8%).
Stop, stop, cable is already dead: ESPN and Fox Sports revealed yesterday that all of their channels can be bundled together for one streaming price starting in October.—DL