After months of suspension, Dana White & Co. finally ended their “bad marriage” with ESPN after seven years of partnership. They have chosen Paramount as the UFC’s new home, with some events airing on CBS, leaving behind competitors like Netflix and Amazon in a bid to revitalize the sport. But wait — this deal isn’t just revolutionary because of the platform change; it also ends the traditional pay-per-view model where fans paid $79.99 per fight.
Instead, TKO introduced a broadcasting model similar to the NBA and NFL, set to launch at the beginning of 2026. Paramount will pay Dana White & UFC approximately $7.7 billion over seven years (about $1.1 billion per year), which is lower than initially expected. However, the promotion focus not only on the money but also on improving the service they deliver to fans.
Dana White reflects on his time with ESPN as UFC moves to Paramount
UFC’s relationship with ESPN featured a lot of “head butting,” and during this period, the promotion experienced declining pay-per-view numbers. Technical difficulties also harmed the fan experience. During UFC 304 last year and UFC 313 this year, viewers struggled to purchase pay-per-views and faced buffering issues with ESPN’s service. Overall, Dana White and TKO expressed dissatisfaction with ESPN’s technical performance.
Despite these challenges, Dana White holds no personal grudge against ESPN. Recently, while speaking on ‘The Pat McAfee Show,’ he openly discussed the UFC-ESPN relationship. For a straight one minute, he emphasized how he has an “amazing relationship” with ESPN.
Dana White also stressed the importance of embracing modern technology to stay relevant, saying: “I think all these streaming services, no matter who they are, have to be involved in live sports. You know, uh any type of sport, you have to watch it live. Nobody’s going to watch a taped, uh or a delayed, uh you know, sporting event.” He further highlighted how outdated systems must give way to newer models, citing examples like taxi cabs and cable television.
He recalled how the UFC aired on DirecTV, Showtime, and Spike TV before settling into a seven-year partnership with ESPN. Reflecting on that period, White called it the “greatest relationship” with ESPN over those seven years: “My relationship with ESPN over the last seven years has been amazing. You know, we had our our bumps and bruises in the beginning, of course, figuring out how to work with each other, and, uh, it’s its it’s its been great.” Dana White confirmed.
UFC’s president, Dana White, during the press conference, PK, Pressekonferenz after the fight between Spanish Topuria and Brazilian Charles Oliveira during the unofficial weigh-in event held at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, United States, 29 June 2025. Ilia Topuria vs Brazilian Charles Oliveira ACHTUNG: NUR REDAKTIONELLE NUTZUNG PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xOctavioxGuzmanx GRAF6466 20250629-55017266219_1
Interestingly, Dana White & Co. are returning to Spike TV, now rebranded as Paramount Network—marking a full circle moment. On January 18, 2018, Viacom rebranded Spike from a male-focused channel into a broader general entertainment network aimed at reaching a wider audience.
Dana White on whether the traditional pay-per-view model era has ended
Since partnering exclusively with ESPN in 2019, the UFC’s pay-per-view (PPV) model has remained a major driver in Western sports entertainment. This model has provided fighters with greater earnings—for instance, UFC 229 generated significant revenue and excitement through exclusive access. However, the steep price of nearly $79.99 has been a burden for many consumers, fans, and viewers. This high cost has also fueled piracy, particularly in regions like Russia and Asia, resulting in widespread intellectual property theft.
Additionally, these challenges have contributed to disruptions and a decline in annual PPV sales, leaving both ESPN and the UFC dissatisfied with their current arrangement. Now, under the new deal with Paramount, the UFC offers fans two subscription-based pricing options: $7.99 with ads and $12.99 without ads.
This shift prompts the question: Is the traditional pay-per-view model dead? Not quite. Dana White recently clarified this in an interview with New York Sports, stating, “There’s no PPV involved in this deal… anything is possible. And you could do a one-off pay-per-view. I am going to be on pay-per-view this Saturday. PPV is not dead.”
Shifting away from pay-per-view brings to the forefront concerns about how the top fighters, who have long relied on those percentage deals, will see their earnings structured in the future. Industry analysts and fighters’ representatives are already scratching their heads over how the new revenue pool will be divvied up. Will the top fighters see bigger guaranteed purses, or is a fresh revenue-sharing formula, like bonuses linked to streaming viewership thresholds, set to take the place of the old buy-point model?
By leaving the door open for occasional PPV events, do you think a single PPV will be enough to satisfy fans’ appetite? White suggested that unexpected or special events could arise that warrant a PPV. Could he have been hinting at Conor McGregor?
The post Dana White Sends a 1 Minute Message to ESPN Following UFC-CBS TV Deal appeared first on EssentiallySports.
