The UFC has long adhered to a pay-per-view viewing model for its fights that costs fans an exuberant amount of money to view each individual card. However, in what is hard to see as anything other than a complete and total victory for fans, that seems to be coming to an end.
the TKO-owned MMA giant announced that it has reached a seven-year, $7.7 billion rights deal with Paramount on Monday, marking the media conglomerate’s first major move since its merger with Skydance, per Awful Announcing.
Now all Paramount+ subscribers will be able to view UFC cards without paying any additional chargers.
“The pay-per-view model is a thing of the past,” TKO president and chief operating officer Mark Shapiro said. “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 It’s an outdated, antiquated model.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.”
Fans reacted to the news on social media.
“So looks like paramount plus is going up lol,” one fan wrote on Twitter.
“Move could reshape how combat sports are monetized,” added someone else.
It’ll be interesting to see the full ramifications of the major deal and shift in approach by the UFC.
About Qwame Skinner
Qwame Skinner has loved both writing and sports his entire life. In addition to his sports coverage at Comeback Media, Qwame writes novels, and his debut; The First Casualty, an adult fantasy, is out now.