Paramount’s new chapter in sports begins with a blockbuster move: the company has secured the rights to the UFC in a seven-year, $7.7 billion deal. The agreement marks the first major strategic decision under Paramount’s new owner, David Ellison, who took the reins last week and has said his aim is to modernize the company across CBS, Paramount Plus, and the broader Paramount TV and film portfolio.
Under the deal, UFC content will be streamed heavily on Paramount Plus, with CBS handling some marquee events. Crucially, UFC programming will be available free to Paramount Plus subscribers, signaling a pivot away from the pay-per-view model that characterized the UFC’s previous rights arrangement with ESPN.
Ellison’s bet is that elite sports content can become a powerful driver of subscriber growth for Paramount Plus, supporting a two-tier streaming strategy: an $8 per month ad-supported tier and a $13 per month ad-free option. The long-term hope is that sports content will persuade fans to join Paramount Plus and remain engaged, whether for live events, a broader slate of series, or a larger catalog of films and shows.
The UFC deal joins CBS’s existing sports portfolio, including NFL, NCAA, PGA Tour, Masters, and PGA of America rights, which collectively could help unlock a large audience for streaming. While not all of those agreements are streaming-exclusive today, they provide a substantial pool of potential subscribers for Paramount’s platforms.
The strategy also echoes a trend seen elsewhere in streaming, where bundled access to live sports drives subscriber gains. Peacock, for example, has benefited from streaming-focused NFL and Olympic coverage, underscoring how live sports can act as a critical growth engine for digital platforms.
For golf fans, the move helps reinforce CBS Sports’ role in the new Paramount era. Ellison’s sizable investment suggests CBS’s brand strength in sports remains a valuable asset as the company shifts focus toward streaming, while golf’s strong performance on digital-first platforms—like YouTube—already demonstrates the appetite for high-quality, accessible sports content online.
What this means going forward
– Paramount positions itself as a major sports destination, using UFC as a cornerstone for growing Paramount Plus and cross-pollinating with CBS’s broader sports ecosystem.
– The shift to a streaming-first rights model could influence how other leagues negotiate future deals, pushing more content toward streaming platforms and bundled offerings.
– Fans can expect more live UFC events on Paramount Plus, with certain marquee events on CBS, and a perennial question for non-subscribers about access and pricing.
– The deal signals a broader strategic push to monetize sports as a driver of subscriptions, potentially reshaping opponents’ expectations in the streaming wars.
Summary: Paramount has enacted a bold, high-stakes bet on sports as a growth engine, buying UFC rights for seven years and $7.7 billion under new owner David Ellison. By streaming most UFC content on Paramount Plus and offering free access to subscribers, the move aims to attract and retain a younger, sports-forward audience, while leveraging CBS’s existing sports tentpole rights to build a robust, bundled streaming portfolio.
Additional note: This is a landmark moment for Paramount’s strategy, signaling a more aggressive embrace of streaming-led sports rights that could redefine how fans watch UFC and other major sports across CBS-branded platforms. If successful, it could accelerate the convergence of live sports and streaming in a way that benefits fans with easier access and to-sell, compelling content.