Set to last seven years, with an average annual value of $1.1bn, the contract marks the impending end of the UFC’s partnership with ESPN, a relationship that began in 2019. More importantly, however, the deal also means the end of the UFC’s pay-per-view (PPV) model.

This deal comes one week after ESPN cut a deal with another TKO company, WWE, to air all of its premium live events on the network’s new platform.

Paramount Skydance announced a seven-year media rights agreement in which Paramount+ will become the exclusive home of all UFC events in the U.S. -- pulling the mixed martial arts events from ESPN.