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Title: Paramount buys UFC rights for $7.7 billion, ending PPV events

Date: Mon, 11 Aug 2025 16:15:12 +0000
Link: https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-mov...

Paramount just acquired the US rights to UFC for seven years in a deal worth
$7.7 billion dollars, according to reporting by NBC News. This contract
begins in 2026 and covers the organization's full slate of 13 marquee bouts
and 30 Fight Night events per year. All matches and events will stream in the
US on Paramount+ and select fights will simulcast on CBS.

This ends the pay-per-view (PPV) model that ESPN+ has favored for premium UFC
events. "WhatΓÇÖs on pay-per-view anymore? Boxing? Movies on DirecTV? ItΓÇÖs
an outdated, antiquated model," said Mark Shapiro, president of UFC's parent
company TKO Group. Matches take place throughout the year, which isn't true
of other sports. This should keep the UFC's massive fanbase tethered to that
Paramount+ subscription.

This happened just a few days after Skydance Media officially acquired
Paramount and its subsidiaries for $8 billion. It's fairly wild that Skydance
paid $8 billion to own Paramount and its various IPs in perpetuity and $7.7
billion to air UFC fights in one country for seven years.

ΓÇ£UFC is a unicorn asset that comes up about once a decade,ΓÇ¥ said TKO
Group CEO David Ellison. Paramount is also interested in purchasing the
international rights to air UFC matches and it's being given an exclusive
negotiation window with each country to do just that.

Breaking News 🚨UFC has a new home in 2026 only on @paramountplus
pic.twitter.com/FUQjemPnBS

ΓÇö danawhite (@danawhite) August 11, 2025

It's been reported that Paramount likely placated Trump in several ways to
ensure the FCC approved the acquisition. The company coughed up $16 million
to settle a "frivolous and dangerous" lawsuit with Trump after 60 Minutes
interviewed Kamala Harris and cut an answer for time, which is something
televised interviews have always done. Paramount will allocate that money to
Trump's future presidential library and did not provide a "statement of
apology or regret."

CBS, which is owned by Paramount, also canceled The Late Show With Stephen
Colbert, which was seen by many as a move to pacify Trump. The president
denies this, saying the cancellation was due to a "pure lack of talent."

Paramount has promised to end all US-based Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
(DEI) programs and to hire a bias monitor for CBS News to make sure that
conservative voices aren't drowned out by the constant drumbeat of reality.
Trump has also publicly stated that CBS will be giving him $20 million worth
of airtime for public service announcements consistent with his ideological
beliefs.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at
https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-mov...
for-77-billion-ending-ppv-events-161512875.html?src=rss

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