The UFC’s $7.7 billion, seven-year deal with Paramount will change the way fans watch fights. Starting in 2026, 13 numbered events and 30 Fight Nights will be streamed on Paramount+, with select cards airing on CBS. And to the surprise of many, most traditional PPVs will be replaced with a subscription-based model, marking one of the promotion’s biggest distribution shifts in years. While Dana White insists PPV isn’t “dead,” others in the MMA community are already debating its future.

The conversation began when a fan asked Chael Sonnen on X if the “death of PPV” would be detrimental to main event fighters. The former UFC title contender downplayed the speculation that fighters’ pay would be hurt, stating, “Any main event fighter who honors his schedule is in great financial shape. More directly to your question, no, it will not.”

‘The American Gangster’ also debunked the claims of a reduced motivation to promote fights, citing Muhammad Ali as a great example to help fans understand the situation. He said, “Will it hurt the industry because it reduces a motivation to promote? I’ll remind you Muhammad Ali never fought on PPV.”

Under the new deal, Paramount will exclusively distribute the UFC’s full lineup, 13 marquee numbered events, and 30 Fight Nights annually, with all content available on Paramount+ for $7.99-$12.99 per month. Select numbered events will be simulcast on CBS, offering the promotion a far greater reach than its existing ESPN deal.

Financially, the partnership averages $1.1 billion per year, a significant increase over the $550 million ESPN reportedly pays now. Dana White claims the move will make UFC more affordable and readily available to fans, but he also leaves the door open for rare PPVs, saying, “Anything is possible. And you could do a one-off pay-per-view… Pay-per-view is not dead.”

For Paramount, the deal follows its $8 billion merger with Skydance, putting UFC alongside some of the most powerful properties in entertainment. Paramount CEO David Ellison described the UFC inclusion as “a major win,” while TKO COO Mark Shapiro promised “deeper engagement” for the fan base.

Dana White himself praised the publicity from CBS and Paramount, claiming that it places the UFC “among the biggest sports in the world.” But while the head honcho and many others are celebrating the move, the same cannot be said about the boxing world, which surely had some mixed reactions as ESPN’s hold on UFC broadcasts and the PPV scene for the promotion ends when their contract expires at the end of 2025.

Dana White’s big move leaves the boxing world divided

The ripple effects of Dana White’s streaming shift have already reached beyond the Octagon, landing right in the center of boxing’s lengthy love affair with pay-per-view. Almost instantly, the sport’s brightest personalities began to question whether the formula that had defined blockbuster fights was now on borrowed time.

Tyson Fury did not mince words. Just hours after the deal was announced, he posted “RIP PPV” to his Instagram Story, along with a graphic of White’s announcement of the new UFC partnership with Paramount and CBS. Turki Alalshikh had previously been waving the same flag weeks earlier. In a July 16 X post, he wrote, “Great meeting with my brother Shay, CEO of DAZN.”

He further added, “We have big vision to grow boxing and decide: No More Pay-Per-View. Starting with our @ringmagazine show in November, all Riyadh Season & The Ring events will be free to DAZN subscribers. The PPV model has damaged boxing, and we will no longer support it. We are with the fight fans. 🤝🥊🔥”

However, not everyone in boxing is prepared to bury the model. MVP co-founder Nakisa Bidarian stated in an X post that the less PPV, the better for fans and the fighters that really move the needle. While MVP has put on the biggest non-PPV bout since the advent of cable with Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson, he added, “PPV is not dead at all.”

Jake Paul also posted a screenshot of TKO Group’s President and COO Mark Shapiro saying, “The pay-per-view model is a thing of the past,” and added, “Now they are saying PPV is dead when they have a PPV this weekend with Du Plessis, Pereira, Aspinall, and another one with…” Well, what do you think? Do you believe Dana White’s new move marks the death of PPVs? Let us know in the comments.