It is a big week in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, with UFC 319: Du Plessis vs. Chimaev taking place tomorrow at the United Center in Chicago. However, the highly-anticipated UFC Middleweight Championship bout between Dricus du Plessis and Khamzat Chimaev is not the only reason why the UFC is in the spotlight this week, nor is it the biggest.
On Monday, it was announced that TKO, the UFC’s parent company, and Paramount had agreed to a seven-year, $7.7 billion deal for all annual UFC events to be under the Paramount umbrella starting in 2026, with a select number of events to be aired on CBS.
This deal will see the UFC end its long association with ESPN and no longer do pay-per-view events. Of the major sports media rights deals done in recent years, this could be one of the most impactful. That includes a significant impact to UFC betting at top online sportsbooks, who should be thrilled about this week’s news.
UFC/Paramount Deal Breakdown
Under the terms of the UFC’s deal with Paramount, all bouts for all UFC events will air on the Paramount+ streaming service. That includes all bouts at premium numbered events such as UFC 319. Now, main card bouts for those events will be available at no additional charge.
Additionally, a select undetermined number of numbered events will be aired on CBS. That means that the biggest bouts featuring the promotion’s top stars such as du Plessis, Ilia Topuria, Islam Makhachev, Alex Pereira, and others will be on free-to-air television for the first time ever.
Since 2019, the UFC has been partnered up with ESPN. Currently, preliminary bouts for numbered events, UFC Fight Night events and non-numbered events air on the ESPN family of networks and ESPN’s streaming services, with main card bouts for numbered events currently available through ESPN+ via pay-per-view purchase. For example, it will cost $79.99 to watch the UFC 319 main card. That is in addition to the subscription cost for ESPN+, which costs $11.99 a month and $119.99 for one year.
What Does the Paramount Deal Mean for the UFC?
Obviously, the biggest impact for the UFC is the financial one.
The deal that the UFC initially struck with ESPN in 2018 was for five years and $1.5 billion total. Then in 2019, the two parties added two years to their partnership, with pay-per-views also moving under the ESPN umbrella.
The link-up with ESPN elevated the UFC’s profile and reach, and it set the stage for the company to command bigger bucks for its next U.S. media rights deal.
One of the biggest long-standing points of contention and criticism for the UFC is the imbalance between the company’s revenue and the compensation for the fighters who drive that revenue.
More recently, that imbalance has diminished. For example, Topuria earned $3.54 million for his UFC 317 win over Charles Oliveira. That is a hefty payday, but it does not come at all close to matching the more than $132 million that heavyweight boxing champion Oleksandr Usyk received for his July win over Daniel Dubois or Dubois’ $71 million payday for the bout.
With the Paramount deal, the imbalance will hopefully diminish even further. There is certainly no excuse at this point for it not to.
Also, with more money on offer for major fights, some notable potential matchups may now take place. Going forward, the prospect of a huge payday may outweigh the risk of a defeat. Could Jon Jones be once again lured out of retirement? Anything should be on the table at this point.
What Does the Agreement Mean for the Future of UFC Betting?
The promotion gets no shortage of eyeballs at this point, and plenty of people are happy to pay for PPVs, stream it through other means, watch events with friends or at their favorite sports bar, or follow fights and results online or on social media.
However, this new deal extends the UFC’s reach and accessibility to a new level.
Currently, Paramount+ offers two subscription plans. Paramount+ Essential, the basic plan that features ads, costs $7.99 a month. Paramount+ Premium, featuring everything in Essential plus no non-live TV ads, live CBS streaming, and SHOWTIME, costs $12.99 a month. Also, Paramount+ subscriptions are available as a free benefit with some TV subscriptions and subscription to services such as Walmart+ and 247Sports.
Even if subscription prices increase somewhat, the investment will still be far, far cheaper than having to pay for both the base ESPN+ subscription and pay-per-view access.
This will draw in new UFC betting interest but also benefit current MMA betting enthusiasts. That will pay off handsomely for sports betting sites such as BetOnline. Major fights no longer being behind the pay-per-view paywall should substantially increase of live betting on UFC events. As it is, that is already a very popular way to bet on MMA.
Plus, if this does bring some new high-profile matchups or stronger event cards, those fights will generate major betting interest.
Ultimately, the lone downside could be a slight uptick in the cost of a Paramount+ subscription. If that is the case, this deal looks like a clear win-win for all possible parties, from the promotion to fighters to those who will watch and bet on bouts in 2026 and beyond.