DAZN once emerged as the gallant knight in shining armor, vowing to vanquish the pay-per-view model once and for all. Yet, the sports streaming behemoth capitulated under fiscal duress and reinstated the PPV system. Now, UFC, under the stewardship of Dana White, has accomplished what DAZN could not—securing a monumental $7.7 billion agreement with Paramount, which is fresh off its merger with Skydance just days prior.
Under the agreement, UFC will broadcast its 13 marquee events and 30 Fight Nights annually on Paramount+, with select events simulcast on CBS over the next seven years beginning in 2026. This marks the demise of the pay-per-view model for UFC in the United States, as Paramount also pursues international broadcasting rights for the promotion. UFC’s previous partnership with ESPN, valued at $500 million per year over five years, concludes in 2025.
Mark Shapiro, CEO of TKO Group—the parent company of UFC and WWE—appears genuinely ecstatic about the new deal. “The pay-per-view model is a thing of the past,” said Shapiro in an interview, per CNBC. “What’s on pay-per-view anymore? Boxing? Movies on DirecTV? It’s an outdated, antiquated model… When they find out, ‘Wait, if I just sign up for Paramount+ for $12.99 a month, I’m going to automatically get UFC’s numbered fights and the rest of the portfolio?’ That’s a message we want to amplify.”
My brother Mark Shapiro, great to see we share the same vision for fights and how our fans consume them. As I said one month ago with DAZN, PPV is a broken model and we must offer boxing events to fight fans at no additional cost. pic.twitter.com/5Rdm6Rqtae
— TURKI ALALSHIKH (@Turki_alalshikh) August 12, 2025
Following this statement, His Excellency Turki Alalshikh, who is collaborating with TKO Group to start the new boxing league, Zuffa Boxing, next year, seems to have pressured DAZN into following in Paramount’s example. “My brother Mark Shapiro, great to see we share the same vision for fights and how our fans consume them,” Alalshikh wrote on X earlier today. “As I said one month ago with DAZN, PPV is a broken model and we must offer boxing events to fight fans at no additional cost.”
Both DAZN and ESPN+ currently levy additional subscription fees on top of pay-per-view charges. Intriguingly, Dana White has unveiled plans for Zuffa Boxing concerning its broadcasting rights.
Dana White sheds light on Contender Series and Zuffa Boxing broadcast deal
After the UFC-Paramount deal, it wasn’t quite clear what would happen to Dana White’s Contender Series. Among the numbered events and Fight Nights, the Contender Series was missing in the announcement. White told Sports Business Journal, “Yeah. That could be split up. We’ll see how that plays out.” This suggests the show might stay on ESPN or move elsewhere. Despite the split with ESPN next year, Dana White emphasized their strong relationship.
Credits: IMAGO
“We wouldn’t be where we are today without ESPN, and I plan on continuing that relationship for the rest of my career,” White said. As for TKO Group’s new boxing venture, White confirmed the media rights deal is done but remains unannounced. On whether Zuffa would land at ESPN, he said, “We’ll see. We’ll see how this plays out,” leaving the door open for future developments in the combat sports broadcast landscape.
That said, whether Zuffa Boxing will adopt the pay-per-view model remains a mystery, with clarity expected only when Zuffa makes its official announcement. Meanwhile, GEA Chairman Turki Alalshikh appears eager to secure a comparable broadcasting deal for boxing events. Although it’s improbable that DAZN would acquiesce, the prospect of such a transformation invites speculation. Do you think boxing can land a deal of similar magnitude?
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