UFC Secures $1.1 Billion Deal with Paramount, Eyes Historic White House Fight Night and Domination of Sports Industry

In a development following Paramount’s billion-dollar acquisition of UFC rights, UFC CEO Dana White has yet to receive communication from President Donald Trump regarding his thoughts on the fight company’s new streaming home. Despite this, White is scheduled to meet with Trump and Ivanka Trump on August 28 to discuss potential logistics for a Fourth of July event at the White House next year.

Trump previously expressed interest in hosting a UFC match on the White House grounds with approximately 20,000 spectators to celebrate American independence’s 250th anniversary. White confirmed that the UFC will be live on CBS during this historic event.

The prospect of cage fights at the White House may have seemed unlikely when the Fertitta brothers purchased UFC for $2 million in 2001, but White has since steered the company into a $4 billion sale in 2016 and secured broadcast rights deals with Fox and ESPN before securing Paramount’s richest deal to date – a seven-year agreement starting in 2026 worth an average of $1.1 billion annually, with all events streamed on Paramount+ and select numbered events also simulcast on CBS.

Traditional sports broadcast players such as ESPN, Amazon, Netflix, and others were initially considered for UFC rights. However, Paramount emerged as a serious contender from the outset of negotiations. The deal was finalized just days after Skydance and Paramount officially closed their $8 billion merger, paving the way for a new entertainment powerhouse.

White was impressed by Skydance CEO David Ellison’s vision for UFC during early contract discussions and believes it will flourish under Ellison’s leadership as chairman and CEO of Paramount. The $1.1 billion deal represents a significant increase from ESPN’s current annual payment for UFC coverage, and content will be available to fans on Paramount+, which costs between $7.99 and $12.99 per month, rather than various pay-per-view fees.

Paramount also intends to explore UFC rights outside the US as they become available in the future. UFC matchmakers are currently planning a loaded debut Paramount card, although details regarding a potential main event for the White House fight night have yet to be discussed. There are still some moving parts to UFC broadcasts and other television programming, but White is optimistic that these will be resolved soon.

The issue of fighter pay remains to be determined as UFC and Paramount settle into their new deal, with $1.1 billion set to flow towards the fight company. White believes this influx of funds will significantly impact fighter pay, which has already grown over time in line with the company’s success.

Boxer Jake Paul expressed on social media that the declining pay-per-view model should provide fighters with a clearer understanding of their worth. “Every fighter in the UFC now has a clear picture of what the revenue is…no more PPV excuses,” Paul wrote. “Get your worth boys and girls.”

White, however, dismissed the notion that the traditional pay-per-view model is dead, citing ongoing UFC cards on pay-per-view through the end of the ESPN contract and a new boxing venture with Saudi Arabia that could potentially use a pay-per-view home. White is also part of the promotional team for the Canelo Álvarez and Terence Crawford fight in September, which airs on Netflix.

White remains committed to leveraging UFC’s archival footage to its full potential once the ESPN deal expires. As he said, “You have the NFL, the NBA, the UFC, and soccer globally. We’re coming. We’re coming for all of them.”