“These guys came in aggressive": Dana White details UFC - Paramount massive $7.7 billion streaming deal

Dana White has pulled off a sweeping new pact, as the UFC is jumping ship from its pay-per-view cocoon and anchoring itself firmly to Paramount’s streaming flagship. Paramount+ will now carry the full UFC roster with no extra fees, no “buy this fight” pop-ups, while CBS grabs a few spotlight events to plaster across its airwaves.

It’s hard not to ask who comes in aggressive enough to crown a giant like UFC and slay the pay-per-view beast? It’s Paramount, of course, the all-in partner in a streaming deal so massive that it dwarfs even the most ambitious sports rights purchases. And spearheading this move? None other than the CEO and president of UFC, Dana White, grinning all the way to the Octagon.

Dana White shares how Paramount’s $7.7 billion streaming deal will reshape UFC’s future and end the pay-per-view era

Dana White rolled out a game-changer seven-year, $7.7 billion deal, sending every UFC card to Paramount+ starting in 2026, with select UFC numbered events also airing on CBS. White admitted he was genuinely surprised by the offer.

“Last minute, these guys came in and said, ‘You know what? We don’t want to share. We want it all,’” he said (via Forbes), referring to Paramount’s bold, unilateral play.

And why not? With the streaming behemoth freshly turbocharged by its $8 billion merger with Skydance, the stage was set for a deal of this magnitude.

Where does this leave the old pay-per-view model? Essentially, it’s being shown the door. Mark Shapiro of TKO called it “outdated,” while Dana White echoed a more open-minded stance, “Pay-per-view is not dead,” he quipped, teasing the possibility of occasional one-off PPVs, though the everyday model is firmly retired.

In a neat twist, White is already plotting four marquee “tent-pole” events per year for CBS, including a surreal July 4, 2026, card on the White House South Lawn to mark America’s 250th birthday.

What does this mean for UFC fans and fighters alike? White says it’s a win-win. Fans get affordable access, which is all 13 numbered events plus 30 Fight Nights bundled into a Paramount subscription (around $8–13/month), ditching the $79.99 PPV surcharge. For fighters, it’s more eyeballs, more exposure, and likely better pay, as each new media deal has historically bumped up fighter compensation.