UFC fans will be able to watch fights for the first time without pay-per-view costs starting in 2026, ushering in a radical change to how viewers have accessed bouts for years.
UFC reached a seven-year, $7.7 billion media-rights deal with Paramount, making the media giant the exclusive home of all UFC events in the U.S. starting next year. Fans will be able to watch UFC’s full slate of 13 marquee numbered events and 30 “Fight Nights” on Paramount+, and select events will also air on CBS.
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Viewers with a Paramount+ subscription will not need to pay additional fees to watch the fights.
UFC president and CEO Dana White took to social media Monday and said UFC will become “more affordable and accessible to view the greatest fights on a massive platform” with the deal.
Most UFC fights currently air in the U.S. on ESPN+, where viewers must subscribe to the streaming platform for $12 per month and then pay an additional $79.99 per fight under the pay-per-view model.
Paramount+ costs $13 per month for an ad-free subscription or $8 per month with ads. Without a pay-per-view model, UFC can potentially reach a wider audience and reduce the fees viewers have faced during the streaming era to access UFC events.
Breaking News 🚨UFC has a new home in 2026 only on @paramountplus pic.twitter.com/FUQjemPnBS
— danawhite (@danawhite) August 11, 2025
The seven-year deal with Paramount has an average annual value of $1.1 billion, and the contract’s payment schedule is weighted more toward the back end of the agreement, according to Paramount.
Paramount said it intends to explore acquiring UFC rights outside the U.S. as they become available in the future.
UFC’s move comes on the heels of Paramount, which also owns CBS, merging with media company Skydance in an $8 billion deal earlier this month. CBS and Hollywood’s Paramount Pictures are now under the control of Skydance boss David Ellison, a movie producer and the son of tech titan Larry Ellison.
(Photo: Stephen Lew / Imagn Images)
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