Dana White and his company commenced a new era after striking a massive $7.7 billion broadcast deal with Paramount that eliminated the pay-per-view model in the United States and Latin America. However, the PPV model remained active in other countries, especially in the neighboring Canada. A Canadian fan by the name of Lamar Niles, as a result, was frustrated with still paying roughly $80 for UFC events, while the viewers in the US continue to enjoy the sport on a standard subscription of Paramount+ worth $8.99 per month. So, he launched a Change.org petition against the UFC, TKO Group Holdings, and Canadian network Sportsnet in January. At the time of writing, the petition already had over a thousand signatures.

Now, five months after the petition was launched, Dana White has finally announced that, starting in 2027, Canadian fans will also be able to enjoy UFC events on a standard subscription of Paramount+.

“Beginning in 2027, Paramount+ subscribers in Canada will get every UFC Numbered Event main card live, at no additional cost,” Dana White said in an announcement on June 4th. “Paramount has been an incredible partner that understands the power of UFC, and together we’re going to make it easier than ever for fans in Canada to watch the biggest fights in the sport. I love Canada, and I’m very excited for the fans to be able to enjoy the Paramount experience.” 

Though the change won’t be immediate, Canadian UFC fans can finally rejoice as they will soon be able to watch events on Paramount+. As of now, the promotion has not disclosed the subscription fee. However, the UFC confirmed that fans from the Great White North will receive exclusive access to all 13 marquee numbered events at no extra cost, provided they are already subscribed to Paramount+ in 2027.

However, just like Sportsnet in Canada, the UFC has a thriving PPV business in other countries through different broadcasting partners. At present, the promotion continues to operate under the PPV model in countries such as Australia through Foxtel and Kayo Sports.

In New Zealand as well, the UFC telecasts events through TVNZ+ Event Pass and Sky NZ via Sky Box in PPV, while Fight Nights are generally available through Fight Pass. Similarly, fans in the United Kingdom and Ireland purchase PPVs through TNT Sports.

Now, it is expected that the UFC will eventually look to bring the Paramount+ model to those countries as well. But it would not be a stretch to suggest that this is part of a much bigger strategy involving both the promotion and its broadcast partners. After all, Paramount+ is aiming to expand its subscriber base to a staggering 200 million users.

Paramount+ CEO targets 200 million subscribers through HBO merger  

Paramount+ currently boasts over 79 million subscribers, which is already massive. However, the company is looking to surpass its current base of active subscribers by merging with HBO Max, which reportedly has a staggering 140 million subscribers. 

The CEO of Paramount+, David Ellison, has planned a $110.9 billion strategic acquisition to merge with Warner Bros. Discovery, a move that would push their overall subscriber base to more than 200 million.

“As we said, we do plan to put the two services together, which today gives us a little over 200 million direct-to-consumer subscribers,” David Ellison said during an investor call in March. “We think that really positions us to compete with the leaders in the space.”

At present, Paramount+ has not completed the merger, as some final approvals are still pending. But if the companies successfully merge, it would be one of the biggest moves in American entertainment media, one that could potentially rival Netflix. Also, with Paramount+ serving as the UFC’s primary broadcast partner in the United States, it would significantly expand UFC’s current viewer base.

At the UFC 328 press conference, White revealed that the UFC 328 Sean Strickland vs. Khamzat Chimaev event broke gate records in Newark. The UFC CEO also claimed the card shattered records for live audience viewership, though he didn’t reveal the exact numbers.

With Paramount+ continuing to expand globally, those numbers are expected to become even more astronomical, with many marquee UFC events on the horizon.