Biggest Questions to Answer from UFC's $7.7 Billion Deal with Paramount+ and CBS

Consider it a TKO for the TKO Group or a unanimous-decision victory for the UFC.

On the heels of WWE signing a mega-money deal with ESPN, TKO announced Monday it reached a gigantic agreement with Paramount+ to broadcast UFC events starting in 2026. Ariel Helwani reported the deal is worth $7.7 billion over seven years.

It's a game-changing contract for the world leader in mixed martial arts and UFC fans in the United States. As part of the agreement, UFC pay-per-views will be a thing of the past.

So what does this mean for the UFC and everyone involved?

Find out, as we dive into the biggest questions from Monday's blockbuster announcement.

What Does the Paramount Deal Mean for UFC Fans?

Sean Jorgensen/Zuffa LLC

Pay-per-views are going the way of the dodo bird. We can't stress enough how big this is for American UFC fans.

Let's use this week's upcoming UFC 319 event as an example. A typical UFC pay-per-view will go for $79.99, though you can get a discount on each event if you purchase it early enough.

A hardcore UFC fan will drop nearly $1,000 for a full slate of pay-per-views annually. That doesn't include the ESPN+ subscription on top of that, which goes for $119.99 for a year.

With 13 "marquee events" and 30 Fight Nights slated for when Paramount takes over, according to the company's press release, UFC fans will just be paying for the Paramount+ subscription in 2026.

While it doesn't solve every issue with the UFC, the switch to Paramount will make its events more affordable for fans and potentially expose more fans to more cards.

What Does This Mean for UFC Fans Not in the US?

Juan Cardenas/Zuffa LLC

The UFC holds the majority of its live events in the United States, so the deal with Paramount has the biggest impact for fans Stateside. But this could affect fans of the company around the world.

According to the UFC's press release, "Paramount intends to explore UFC rights outside the U.S. as they become available in the future."

So, if you're watching UFC in one of the other 210 countries that broadcast fights? Yeah, that might change, too.

Will Fighters Receive More Money from New UFC Media Deal?

Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC

That might be the biggest question of all that TKO and UFC need to answer.

Fighters' pay has been a hot-button issue for UFC for years now, with Jake Paul being one of the biggest advocates of increasing minimum fighters' pay from $12,500.

With the UFC now expected to take a reported $1.1 billion annually for the next seven years, one would think that increased fighters' pay would be a natural outcome of the deal. That remains to be seen.

Oleksandr Usyk made a reported $132 million for his fight against Daniel Dubois, a sum of money that MMA fighters can only dream of at this moment. When you consider how much punishment an MMA fighter takes, you would think it would behoove the company to share the wealth and its increased profits.

This topic won't be going anywhere any time soon.