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Days after merging with Skydance, Paramount has secured U.S. rights to TKO Group’s Ultimate Fighting Championship - UFC for seven years starting in 2026.
TKO Group is a U.S. company created when WWE joined forces with UFC’s parent company, Zuffa, under the sports giant Endeavor.
What’s brewing: the deal, worth about $7.7 billion, covers UFC’s full lineup of 13 numbered events and 30 “fight nights” for Paramount’s streaming service, with select events also airing on CBS. Paramount may also bid for UFC rights in other markets. In a major shift from pay-per-view, all matches will be available to viewers at no extra cost.
The why: live sports rights, especially for major events, have become a core part of media strategies as cord-cutting gains pace. Netflix and Disney have also signed similar deals to strengthen their content portfolios with high-profile properties like WWE.
