UFC, WWE owner TKO announces Paramount streaming deal for Zuffa Boxing

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Starting in 2026, Paramount+ will be the new streaming home of Zuffa Boxing, the company formed under the umbrella of TKO, which owns the UFC and WWE.

The companies announced the “long-term” deal in a Monday morning news release, which stated that Paramount will begin exclusively streaming Zuffa fights in the United States, Canada and Latin America in January. They did not specify the length of the partnership.

Zuffa is the boxing arm TKO launched in June under the leadership of UFC CEO and president Dana White and Turki Alalshikh, chairman of the Saudi Arabian government’s General Entertainment Authority. The entity is a joint venture between TKO and Sela, a government-owned event-promotion company of the Saudis.

“I’m excited to bring great boxing events to a global audience,” White said in a statement. “There are millions of boxing fans that will now be able to watch competitive fights with up-and-coming boxers as well as the biggest stars in the sport.”

Zuffa is coming off the promotion of the Canelo Álvarez-Terence Crawford fight that drew more than 41 million viewers earlier this month, according to Netflix, which streamed the event. Zuffa said it will create a slate of 12 boxing cards, but it hopes to expand that number down the line.

“This partnership with Paramount reinforces our vision to redefine the way viewers consume boxing. More fight fans will now have access to watch some of the most exciting boxers around,” Alalshikh said in the statement. “We have seen the proof that the appetite is there; this is the future for live boxing coverage and will ensure the sport continues to thrive.”

Turki Alalshikh has stated that he aims to “fix” boxing and purchased The Ring magazine in 2024. (Richard Pelham / Getty Images)

The addition of Zuffa builds upon Paramount’s seven-year, $7.7 billion media-rights deal to exclusively distribute UFC fights beginning next year. That agreement, announced in August, includes 13 numbered UFC events and 30 Fight Nights per year. Paramount+ will also become the host of UFC’s library of past events.

It is unclear how the Paramount deal will impact Zuffa’s business with Netflix. The streamer has utilized boxing events, such as Canelo-Crawford and the Jake Paul-Mike Tyson fight, promoted by Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions, to expand its foray into live events.

TKO’s WWE has an ongoing partnership with Netflix that allows it to stream WWE’s flagship program, “Monday Night Raw,” every week of the year. That agreement is a 10-year deal worth $5 billion and includes rights to host other programming from the wrestling giant outside the U.S. TKO also recently signed a multiyear WWE deal with ESPN for ESPN’s new direct-to-consumer streaming service.

Zuffa said Nick Khan, a TKO board member who also serves as WWE’s president, is working to sign 400 to 450 fighters to compete for the promotion. It has not yet announced any specific events.

Khan was a key negotiator in both the Netflix and Paramount deals, having built a career in sports based on his previous work as an agent for the likes of Manny Pacquiao and his childhood friend, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. He has also represented a long list of sports media companies and personalities, including ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Mike Greenberg, Kirk Herbstreit, Skip Bayless and Colin Cowherd.

White has historically been critical of modern boxing promotions, pointing to what he describes as the sluggish pacing of events.

However, he has faced criticism from some boxing fans, who say he did not fulfill his promise of a faster, smoother card for Álvarez versus Crawford. Including preliminary fights, the event ran for nearly six hours.

Meanwhile, Sela has been the target of critiques that it is helping the Saudi government “sportswash” human rights abuses. The phrase refers to a tactic whereby countries invest in entertainment and sports events to improve their international public image and direct attention away from unfavorable news coverage.

Over the last five years, the Saudis have purchased Newcastle United Football Club, hosted the 2023 FIFA Club World Cup (and are slated to host the event again in 2034), launched a PGA Tour competitor, LIV Golf, and begun hosting a Formula One Grand Prix.

On the soccer front, Saudi teams have also made significant superstar signings, including Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema. In golf, LIV has become the home of stars like Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka, Phil Mickelson and Jon Rahm.

Zuffa’s emergence and the country’s expanding relationship with TKO indicate Alalshikh has no plans of slowing down his work.

(Top photo of Dana White and Terence Crawford: Sarah Stier / Getty Images for Netflix)

This news was originally published on this post .

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