Image: Ben Duffy/Sherdog.com illustration
The Ultimate Fighting Championship was on life support a little more than two decades ago. Today, its success can be measured in 10-figure distribution deals.
TKO Group Holdings, the parent company of the UFC, and Paramount on Aug. 11 announced a seven-year media rights agreement worth a reported $7.7 billion, forever altering the landscape of professional mixed martial arts. The deal made Paramount the exclusive home for all the Las Vegas-based promotion’s domestic events, starting with UFC 324 on Jan. 24.
“The historic deal with Paramount and CBS is incredible for UFC fans and our athletes,” UFC CEO Dana White wrote on social media.