Dana White reveals how UFC sealed massive $7.7 billion streaming deal with Paramount and CBS

Dana White, president and CEO of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, says the biggest change in UFC history happened on August 11, 2025. That’s when UFC signed a seven-year, $7.7 billion deal with Paramount Skydance.

Starting in 2026, every UFC event in the United States, thirteen big “numbered” fights and thirty Fight Night cards each year will stream on Paramount+, with some major shows also on CBS. This ends UFC’s long-time pay-per-view model, meaning fans won’t have to pay extra to watch the biggest fights.

Dana White says David Ellison sealed $7.7 billion Paramount UFC deal in 48 hours

Dana White says the UFC spoke with many companies before deciding. David Ellison, CEO of Skydance Media and son of billionaire Larry Ellison, made the strongest move.

Right after Skydance’s merger with Paramount closed, David Ellison acted quickly and offered to take the entire UFC package. The deal was finalized within 48 hours.

“These guys came in aggressive with an all-or-nothing approach,” Dana White said. “The Ellisons are brilliant businessmen and have a whole game plan behind this. I can’t wait to be in business with them.”The new agreement will pay UFC an average of $1.1 billion a year more than double the current ESPN deal, which pays about $350 million for Fight Nights plus $250 million for big events.

With ESPN, fans had to pay around $100 on top of their subscription for each pay-per-view card.Also Read: “He Will Never Come Back”: Conor McGregor Faces Harsh Criticism As He Trains For Potential UFC Fight At White House In 2026

Mark Shapiro and Dana White explain why ending UFC pay-per-view will help fans

Mark Shapiro, president and COO of UFC’s parent company TKO Group, said fans had been hit with high costs for too long. The pay-per-view model, he explained, pushed many to illegal streaming. “We saw piracy numbers go up ten times during big events,” Shapiro said. “That’s when we knew the double paywall had gotten out of control.”Now, all UFC fights will be available with just a Paramount+ subscription. Dana White believes this will bring more viewers than ever before. Paramount+ currently has about 78 million subscribers, far behind giants like Netflix and Disney+, and UFC is expected to help boost that number.Dana White also teased a one-of-a-kind UFC event at the White House on July 4, 2026. He said it could air live on CBS, just like the UFC’s Las Vegas Sphere event last year. While he hasn’t heard from Donald Trump about the new deal yet, he laughed and said, “I’m sure he will. He always does.”