Paramount Secures UFC's U.S. Rights in Blockbuster $7.7 Billion Deal
Source: news.source.channelnewsasia
Paramount has clinched a $7.7 billion, seven-year deal for exclusive U.S. broadcast rights to the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), marking a significant move post-merger with Skydance. The agreement will see UFC events streamed on Paramount+ and simulcast on CBS, moving away from the traditional pay-per-view model to reach a broader audience.
Key Points
Paramount finalized a $7.7 billion deal for exclusive U.S. broadcast rights to UFC for seven years.
The deal is the first major strategic move by Paramount after merging with Skydance.
Paramount+ will stream all 13 numbered UFC events and 30 'Fight Nights' per year, with select events simulcast on CBS.
The move shifts away from UFC's traditional pay-per-view model to increase viewer accessibility.
Paramount aims to leverage live sports to drive subscriber growth amidst the trend of cord-cutting.
Competitors like Netflix and Disney have also made significant sports broadcasting deals recently.
UFC chose Paramount due to its financial strength, CBS's broad reach, and CEO David Ellison's focus on technology and long-term vision.
