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Say Goodbye to Pay-Per-View! UFC’s $7.7 Billion Deal Changes the Game

Originally posted on Total Apex Sports | By Fahad Hamid | Last updated Aug 11, 2025 12:47 PM ET

It’s official, UFC fans. Your wallets just breathed a sigh of relief. Starting in January 2026, all your favorite UFC events will be available with just a Paramount+ subscription. No more $80 bills for a single fight night. That’s right, the pay-per-view era is finally over—for the UFC, at least.

The UFC has inked a groundbreaking $7.7 billion, 7-year deal with Paramount and CBS. For context, that’s enough money to probably build a small country, but more importantly, enough to overhaul the way we’ve been accessing UFC fights all these years. With this partnership, Paramount+ will be the go-to hub for not only the 13 massive UFC main events but also 30 Fight Night cards annually. And as if that wasn’t enough, some events will even be simulcast on CBS alongside your usual NFL and NCAA lineup. Think of it as the ultimate couch potato upgrade.

Why This Deal Is Huge for UFC Fans (and Maybe Netflix’s Worst Nightmare)

This isn’t just a win for fans looking to save a couple of bucks (okay, maybe a lot of bucks)—it’s also a massive move for the UFC’s market reach. Dana White declared in his official statement, “For the first time, fans in the US will have access to all UFC content without a pay-per-view model, making it more affordable and accessible.” And honestly, he’s not wrong. Shelling out nearly a hundred bucks per pay-per-view event, on top of ESPN+ subscription fees, had become exhausting, even for die-hard fans. Oh, and don’t even get us started on those buffering issues that ESPN+ had. Hardcore fans joked that pirate streams were smoother.

The biggest game-changer here? Accessibility. By teaming up with Paramount and CBS, UFC content will now be available on one of the most prominent platforms out there. And unlike ESPN, Paramount+ offers far fewer hoops to jump through to access your weekend brawls. All you have to do is throw down $12.99/month, which is basically the cost of one fancy Starbucks drink and a muffin. Plus, everyone hates ads during a fight build-up, and this move makes the experience cleaner for viewers.

But don’t think for a second that Netflix isn’t crying into its overpriced avocado toast right now. For months, there were whispers about Netflix swooping in to grab UFC media rights. Unfortunately for them, they’ll just have to console themselves with documentaries… about MMA fighters that aren’t airing live on their platform.

Paramount’s Playbook for Year-Round Sports Domination

This deal isn’t just about making UFC accessible. It’s about year-round sports domination. “Paramount already boasts some of the most incredible sports content with the NFL, UEFA, The Masters, and March Madness,” said David Ellison, Paramount CEO. “There was this lull in summer sports content, and UFC fills that gap perfectly.”

Translation? No more awkwardly filling the summer void post-NBA playoffs by watching people throw darts on ESPN. Instead, the octagon comes to the rescue. This deal cements Paramount as a key player in offering what’s shaping up to be a comprehensive sports lineup. Paramount and CBS clearly saw an opening in their summer sports slate and didn’t just fill it—they smashed the door down with a spinning back kick.

What This Means for UFC Athletes and the Sports World

For UFC fighters, this deal isn’t just a bigger stage; it’s the biggest stage they’ve seen yet. The visibility from CBS networks, combined with the global reach of Paramount+, is expected to catapult the UFC’s fighters into even bigger mainstream awareness. With this exposure, fighters might start rubbing shoulders with NFL quarterbacks and NBA stars level in terms of media attention and sponsorship deals.

For the sports world at large, this could mark the slow but certain demise of the pay-per-view model across all combat sports. WWE made a similar pivot (for way less money, just saying) with their recent ESPN deal, proving there’s life outside the old pay-per-view routine. Boxing, you might want to start taking notes.

Final Thoughts

The UFC-Paramount deal isn’t just a win; it’s a knockout. Fans save money, athletes get more exposure, and Paramount solidifies itself as a heavyweight in the media space. But more importantly, we can finally put those glitchy ESPN+ streams and $80 pay-per-view bills in the past where they belong. Sign us up for Paramount+ immediately.

This article first appeared on Total Apex Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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