Dana White has confirmed that the UFC will no longer be on pay-per-view in the United States as he confirmed a new ten-figure broadcast deal.
The UFC has always offered premium events on pay-per-view, with over 318 offerings to date and UFC 319 upcoming this weekend. But come 2026, their new deal with Paramount and CBS will see the events aired without that model for the first time.
White announced the news today in an out-of-the-blue post to social media, which followed an article from the New York Times. It marks an exciting new chapter for the sport, with the promotion set to leave ESPN at the end of the year.
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Dana White confirms new $7.7billion broadcast deal for UFC
Dana White took to social media to confirm reports of a new UFC broadcast deal, which is reportedly worth $7.7billion over seven years to the promotion. Their international rights are seemingly unaffected thus far.
“This historic deal with Paramount and CBS is incredible for UFC fans and our athletes,” White said in a statement on social media.
“For the first time ever, fans in the US will have access to all UFC content without a Pay Per-View model, making it more affordable and accessible to view the greatest fights on a massive platform.
“This deal puts UFC amongst the biggest sports in the world. The exposure provided by the Paramount and CBS networks under this new structure is a huge win for our athletes and anyone who watches and loves this sport.”
In an interview with CNBC, TKO Group’s President and Chief Operating Officer Mark Shapiro added: “The pay-per-view model is a thing of the past. What’s on pay-per-view anymore? Boxing? Movies on DirecTV? It’s an outdated, antiquated model.
“So, it was paramount to us – forgive the pun – where it’s one-stop shopping, especially for our younger fans in flyover states.
“When they find out, ‘Wait, if I just sign up for Paramount+ for $12.99 a month, I’m going to automatically get UFC’s numbered fights and the rest of the portfolio? That’s a message we want to amplify.”
No more pay-per-view for UFC fans in America
From the beginning of 2026, Paramount will air the UFC’s full slate of 13 marquee events, which would have previously been called ‘pay-per-view’, and are known as ‘Premium Live Events’ for their TKO Group sister company WWE. The broadcaster will also show 30 Fight Nights from around the world.
Paramount+ will be the primary home of fights, with select events aired on CBS as a simulcast. It currently costs as low as $8 a month for a Paramount+ subscription, and $13 for the ad-free version with SHOWTIME.
For the past seven years, UFC has been using ESPN’s controversial ESPN+ offering for their pay-per-views, although with many issues. Paramount will not charge any premium on top of their subscription service.
As for the numbers, the deal will see the UFC more than double what they have been getting from ESPN the last seven years. Their seven-year payout averages to $1.1billion a year, but according to CNBC will not be linear, with the promotion receiving a lower amount early with the deal eventually growing.