Paramount has announced a new $7.7 billion deal with TKO spanning seven years, a deal that will see Paramount+ become the new streaming home to UFC events in the United States.
The deal is backend-weighted and valued at $1.1 billion annually. When international UFC rights become available, Paramount reportedly intends to pursue them too.
Under the deal, the UFC PPV model is being retired – instead, these premium events, along with the more regular ‘Fight Nights’, will be made available at no additional cost to all Paramount+ subscribers.
Some of the numbered events will also be simulcast on CBS. David Ellison, the chairman and CEO of Paramount following its acquisition by Skydance, says in a statement:
“I couldn’t be more excited to join forces with Dana, Ari and Mark. Rarely do opportunities arise to partner on an exclusive basis with a global sports powerhouse like UFC — an organisation with extraordinary global recognition, scale and cultural impact.”
This marks the first official major move by Paramount following the close of the Skydance deal.
Source: THR
