Topline
Paramount struck a $7.7 billion deal with the Ultimate Fighting Championship just days after merging with Skydance, giving CBS and Paramount+ streaming and broadcasting rights to the mixed martial arts fights President Donald Trump has sometimes been spotted attending.
The new deal is valued at $1.1 billion per year for a period of seven years, and will begin in 2026, multiple outlets reported.
Under the terms of the deal, CBS and Paramount+ will obtain the rights to stream and broadcast UFC’s 13 marquee events and 30 “Fight Night” events.
The Paramount deal ends UFC streaming deal with ESPN, which paid $550 million per year, and also ends ESPN’s pay-per-view approach to charging for the fights.
Trump, a noted friend of UFC President and CEO Dana White, was spotted at two fights with Ellison earlier this year, once in April and again in June.
Ellison was able to secure the Paramount deal after what appeared to be a number of concessions by the previous owner to placate Trump and his FCC, which had to approve the deal.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.