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via Imago

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via Imago

The UFC will be entering a new era, as its relationship with ESPN will come to an end. Yes, Dana White and Co. have struck a new deal, and it is worth a lot of money. Beginning in 2026, the UFC’s U.S. rights will move to Paramount+ (Paramount, a Skydance corporation), which will be the exclusive U.S. streaming home; select marquee fights will be simulcast on CBS. The fight community shared some praise for the CEO for another move, which has been an issue for a long time.

Dana White was looking to secure $1.5 billion per year for its next broadcasting rights deal. In that, he was looking for possible options and even expressed an interest in Netflix. Well, White was able to get close to that, but with Paramount, which bought the rights for $7.7 billion deal, which means the UFC will be making $1.1 billion in revenue annually for the next seven years. The 56-year-old head honcho took to social media to make the announcement, claiming that the events will also simulcast on the CBS network, while sharing an update about the PPV model.

We have seen how the UFC’s sister promotion, WWE, ended its PPV model and switched to premium live events. However, the Las Vegas-based promotion has been using that model in its partnership with ESPN. Well, things are about to change for the UFC as Dana White claims that not only will all the content related to the UFC be there for fans to access on Paramount, but they’ve also decided to ditch the PPV model once and for all.

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“The historic deal with Paramount and CBS is incredible for UFC fans and our athletes. For the first time ever, fans in the US will have access to all UFC content without a pay-per-view model, making it more affordable and accessible to view the greatest fights on a massive platform,” Dana White wrote on X. “This deal puts UFC amongst the biggest sports in the world. The exposure provided by Paramount and CBS networks under this new structure is a huge win for our athletes and anyone who watches and loves this sport.”

As things will change in 2026 for the UFC, the fans seem to be looking forward to the new deal coming into effect. Moreover, they also hailed Dana White for striking this deal, so let us take a look at what they had to say on his announcement on social media.

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Fans are happy with Dana White’s decision to move on from ESPN

The MMA community’s opinion of Dana White hasn’t always been positive due to his outspoken personality and controversial decisions as the face of the UFC. But that’s not the case with his and the other execs’ decision to move from ESPN to Paramount. For a long time, the Disney-owned network had been associated with the promotion, so hearing that they won’t be the exclusive home for the UFC anymore made some fans confused. A fan asked, “No more espn?”

It did not seem like that fan was upset with UFC’s departure from ESPN because a lot of fans were behind Dana White. On that note, a couple of fans commented, “Finally, a good move from Dana,” and “Massive deal love it.” Moreover, the fact that the fans will not have to pay the infamous 80-dollar fee to access UFC’s numbered events anymore also has fans excited about the new Paramount deal. As a fan added, “No more 80 dollar PPV’s, sign me up,” another one made it clear about what they think about Disney and its network, and it wasn’t positive at all.

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What’s your perspective on:

Is ditching ESPN for Paramount the best move Dana White has made for UFC fans?

Have an interesting take?

Disney has often faced backlash for certain business decisions, and hence some fans are happy that the UFC will have nothing to do with the entertainment juggernaut and its network from 2026. “Bravo – F— ESPN & DIsney,” a fan commented in that regard. Meanwhile, a user on X advised fans to curb their enthusiasm about the new deal and asked to brace for certain changes to Paramount’s subscription fee. While the plans start from $8 dollars, the fan believes it could see a significant rise in 2026 after securing the UFC’s broadcasting rights.

For a lot of fans, the new deal is a relief as they won’t need to pay extra to watch their favorite fighters compete. Nevertheless, let us know what you think about Dana White and Co.’s shifting allegiance from ESPN to Paramount. Drop your comments down below.

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  Debate

Is ditching ESPN for Paramount the best move Dana White has made for UFC fans?

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