UFC, Paramount announce expansion of media rights deal
Before the new UFC U.S. media rights deal on Paramount begins in 2026, the two brands are already expanding on it.
Announced on Tuesday, Paramount (via parent company Skydance) and UFC (via parent company TKO) revealed a new seven-year media rights deal that will add Latin America and Australia to the mix via the Paramount+ streaming service, aligning them with the U.S. rights.
Like with the U.S. rights, the deal begins this January.
While the Latin America rights are identical to the U.S. which includes 13 numbered (formerly PPV) events and 30 Fight Night cards, the Australia portion includes just the Fight Night shows and prelims for the UFC numbered shows. That is because UFC PPVs are available on Kayo Sports via a multi-year deal announced in January 2024.
While ads have run on U.S. TV, the date and card for the first UFC event on Paramount+ and/or CBS has yet to be announced. The two sides announced a seven-year, $7.7 billion domestic rights deal in August.
Since 2011, Josh has been a contributing editor to Wrestling Observer/F4WOnline.com and also hosts the Punch-Out podcast. He has also written for Fight Magazine, Bloody Elbow, Bleacher Report, and other websites. He's a 2000 graduate of the University of Maine, worked in pro sports, and once was an indie ring announcer.