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Read Full BioThe UFC announced on Monday that it finalized a $7.7 billion deal with Paramount to screen events over the next seven years. This will mark the end of pay-per-view fights on ESPN. That is expected to boost betting on the sport, which can now attract a wider audience.
A statement confirming the partnership noted that the move away from a pay-per-view model “will unlock greater accessibility and discoverability for sports fans and provide an important catalyst for driving engagement.”.
Part of this engagement will be in increasing the bets placed on fights, which the inhibitive pricing of marquee events has limited. Some of the biggest fights will now be available for free through CBS.
UFC CEO and President Dana White states: “This historic deal with Paramount and CBS is incredible for UFC fans and our athletes.”
“For the first time ever, fans in the US will have access to all UFC content without a Pay-Per-View model, making it more affordable and accessible to view the greatest fights on a massive platform. This deal puts UFC amongst the biggest sports in the world.”
Increased Integration of Betting Markets Sealed Deal
Mark Shapiro, Chief Operating Officer and President of TKO Group Holdings, UFC’s parent company, said the integration of betting into the coverage was a big part of why the organization agreed to the deal with Paramount.
The deal comes on the heels of Skydance’s acquisition of Paramount for $8 billion. Shapiro noted that Skydance CEO David Ellison’s vision for the coverage, which includes integrating betting, was attractive.
Shapiro said: “At the end of the day, his strategy (is) streaming, sports, and studios. It’s right in our wheelhouse.”
He added: “A unified platform. More personalization. More customization. Integrating sports betting, which is a big part of our fan experience when it comes to the UFC. That was all the stuff that was very attractive to us, way beyond the price.”
The increased integration of betting in televised coverage comes after the UFC extended its deal with casino game developer Spribe at the start of this year. It is unclear as yet whether the multi-year partnership will be impacted by the switch to Paramount.
ESPN Bet Could See Negative Impact
The switch in coverage away from ESPN could negatively affect ESPN Bet, however. The sports betting arm of PENN Entertainment is increasing its integration into ESPN’s NFL coverage after the network agreed to a deal with the league to cover more games and acquire a range of assets, including the NFL’s fantasy football network.
Any integration into UFC coverage would now come at a cost premium. But, with no pay-per-view events, betting companies could see sponsoring UFC events as a more enticing prospect.
To date, the sport has not attracted much attention from bettors. In Colorado, one of the states that reports betting handle by sport, wagering on mixed-martial arts accounted for $5.5 million in June 2025. For comparison, the betting handle for table tennis was $30 million.
Increased coverage will undoubtedly add to increased betting. White went on to add: “The exposure provided by the Paramount and CBS networks under this new structure is a huge win for our athletes and anyone who watches and loves this sport.”
