🥋 UFC · 2026 · PARAMOUNT+ EXCLUSIVE · No more PPV

UFC just killed the PPV model. Here's the new deal.

In August 2025, Paramount paid TKO Group $7.7 billion over 7 years for exclusive UFC rights starting January 2026 — ending the longstanding ESPN+/PPV model entirely. Every numbered event (UFC 297-330+) is now included in a Paramount+ subscription. No more $79.99 PPV fees.

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$7.99/mo — every UFC numbered event + Fight Nights included. No PPV fees.

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The biggest consumer win in pro sports streaming since 2020. If you've been a UFC fan, you used to pay $11.99/mo for ESPN+ PLUS $79.99 per numbered event. Now: $7.99/mo Paramount+ covers everything. UFC PPV is dead.

$7.7B / 7 yr

Paramount + TKO Group · 2026-2032 · ~$1.1B/yr

What Paramount+ now carries for UFC

13 numbered PPV events per year — the "main" UFC PPV cards (UFC 297, 298, 299...). Included in subscription.
~30 Fight Nights per year — non-PPV cards. Included.
UFC Fight Pass archive — historic library + Dana White's Contender Series + smaller promotions.
Select main events on CBS broadcast — Paramount also said it would put a few marquee fights on free OTA CBS — first time in modern UFC history.
Original UFC programming — Embedded, UFC Reloaded, etc.

Paramount+ tiers in 2026

Paramount+ Essential $7.99/mo — with ads. Includes all UFC events.
Paramount+ with Showtime $12.99/mo — no ads + Showtime catalog.
Disney+/Hulu/Paramount+ bundle coming Q3 2026 — TBD pricing.

Both UFC-included tiers work for fights. If UFC is your reason to subscribe, the cheap Essential tier is fine.

What ESPN+ lost

The UFC rights had been ESPN's biggest non-stick-and-ball property since 2018. They paid ~$150M/yr; Paramount paid $1.1B/yr. ESPN+ no longer carries any UFC content as of 2026. If you've been keeping ESPN+ for UFC, you can cancel — there's nothing left there.

ESPN+ in 2026 is now: college sports (deep), PGA Tour Live, soccer (Bundesliga + La Liga + some EFL Cup), boxing (limited), and original documentaries. Worth $11.99/mo if you care about college; otherwise skippable.

What about Fight Pass?

UFC Fight Pass ($9.99/mo) continues as the archive/library product. It has:

Every prior UFC fight ever (~30,000+)
Dana White's Contender Series live
Smaller promotions (Cage Warriors, Eagle FC, etc.)
No live UFC PPV events anymore (those moved to Paramount+)

If you're a casual UFC fan: Paramount+ Essential ($7.99) is all you need. If you're a UFC superfan who watches old fights: add Fight Pass ($9.99) for the archive.

The international picture

Paramount's deal is for US only. Other markets still buy UFC rights separately:

UK: TNT Sports — PPV model continues there.
Canada: TSN + Sportsnet — PPV model continues.
Latin America: ESPN Latin — PPV model continues.

Verified 2026-05-17 via project-docs/SPORTS-RIGHTS-MASTER.md

Paramount + TKO Group · $7.7B / 7yr · 2026-2032.

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Questions people actually ask

Real questions from real readers — and direct answers from 22 years of install experience.

Are numbered UFC events included on Paramount+ or still pay-per-view?

The 2026 UFC-Paramount deal eliminated PPV — every numbered event (UFC 300, etc.) AND every Fight Night is included with Paramount+ Essential ($7.99/mo) or Premium ($12.99/mo). This was the biggest shift in combat sports streaming in years. You no longer pay $80 per PPV.

Do I still need ESPN+ for any UFC content?

No — ESPN+ lost UFC rights at the start of 2026. All UFC content (numbered events, Fight Nights, prelims, original programming, archive fights) is on Paramount+. If you only kept ESPN+ for UFC, you can cancel it.