Paramount has clinched a landmark seven-year deal worth $7.7 billion to secure U.S. media rights to the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), equating to approximately $1.1 billion per year, according to Ampere Analysis. This agreement signifies a 120% increase in annual rights value compared to UFC’s previous $500 million-per-season contract with ESPN, and elevates UFC to become the joint-eighth most valuable annual sports competition property in the United States. Ampere’s insights emphasize that the deal includes all UFC events, with distribution on Paramount+ at no additional cost, effectively dismantling the traditional pay-per-view model that had historically dominated combat sports.
Ampere’s analysis highlights several strategic enablers behind the deal. Paramount’s recent merger with Skydance has fortified its financial flexibility, enabling the acquisition of high-profile, marquee content designed to boost subscriber growth. Furthermore, integrating adjacent content such as documentaries and behind-the-scenes series into the UFC vertical offers opportunities to extend fan engagement beyond the Octagon. Ampere’s Q4 2024 Sports Consumer Survey reveals that 61% of UFC fans are willing to pay to watch the competition, ahead of many larger sports in monetization potential. While UFC ranks 16th in overall popularity among U.S. sports competitions, it already counts among the top eight in terms of the willingness of fans to pay for access.
The decision to shift from pay-per-view to inclusion within Paramount+ directly serves engagement and retention goals. Removing transactional barriers increases accessibility, especially when combined with existing offerings through CBS’s broadcast reach. The deal positions UFC as a cornerstone of Paramount’s live sports portfolio, reinforcing the centrality of live events in combatting churn and driving platform loyalty.
While the $7.7 billion headline grabs attention, Ampere’s underlying analysis frames the deal as a calculated play to strengthen Paramount+’s competitiveness in a crowded streaming landscape. The premium, year-round content and built-in fan loyalty that UFC brings can offset the high upfront cost by supporting long-term subscriber retention.
Altogether, the agreement underscores a growing trend: live sports—especially those with monetizable and engaged fandom—are becoming indispensable for platform differentiation. As Ampere’s analysis concludes, UFC’s new status among the top 10 U.S. sports rights properties positions Paramount+ to leverage audience passion and IP depth to anchor its streaming strategy in the years ahead.
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