Should the UFC finally pump the brakes on its skyrocketing pay-per-view prices? This question has been vocally raised by fans, especially as the promotion gears up for a new broadcasting deal following the apparent fallout with ESPN. Since 2019, when the average UFC PPV cost $59.99 on ESPN+, prices have steadily climbed. Fast forward to 2025, and fans are now faced with a staggering $79.99 per event—a sharp blow to MMA enthusiasts everywhere, especially since this is in addition to their ESPN+ subscription. Amid the growing frustration, Joe Rogan has stepped up with a bold solution that could not only address the soaring costs but satisfy the fans and help the UFC land a new deal.

During a conversation with four-time NFL MVP and Super Bowl champion Aaron Rodgers on his ‘JRE #2325,’ Joe Rogan emphasized the importance of reaching the right audience at the right time. When Rodgers asked whether the UFC would sign a deal with Netflix for their upcoming broadcasting rights, the color commentator responded that he didn’t have any information about it, but confirmed there was some confusion regarding whether the UFC would actually ink a deal with Netflix. Now, what’s the confusion he’s referring to?

Since the Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson fight was not a pay-per-view event, Joe Rogan argues that it’s unclear whether the UFC will continue with pay-per-view in the future or abandon the PPV format altogether (which is something a lot of fans have been calling for). He added, “So, if they had the UFC on Netflix but made people pay more for it, I don’t know how that would work out.” Aaron Rodgers chimed in, suggesting, “What if you just did, like, five bucks??”

Five bucks for PPV? Rodgers must not be familiar with UFC’s business model if he thinks that’s possible, but Rogan, who knew (comparatively) better, was all in on that idea. Responding to the former Super Bowl champion, the multi-million dollar podcaster stated, “Yeah, I don’t know. Well, that’s a good question, right? Like, if the UFC was $5 instead of $70, would you actually make more money because you get millions of downloads or millions of views?”

It’s no surprise that the UFC is struggling to sell pay-per-views, especially at a time when the promotion is facing accusations of being in a recession. The increasing PPV prices, coupled with uncertain economic conditions, as well as oversaturation and diminished event quality, have significantly hurt the UFC’s reputation among fans.

Interestingly, when the UFC CEO was asked about the fate of the ESPN PPV model post the end of the TV deal, Dana White stated, “Yeah, it’s like what I said to him, usually we do what works for the network, what they wanna do, want to put on there. Did they want to do PPV? I don’t know! Do they wanna put it behind a paywall? I don’t know.”

The year 2025 will mark the final year of the UFC-ESPN partnership, and the promotion appears to be moving away from ESPN as it seeks a new broadcasting deal worth around a billion dollars per year. But is Netflix even interested in acquiring the UFC broadcasting rights? Let’s take a look at what the Netflix CEO has to say.

Dana White’s one billion dollar a year dreams get a reality check from Netflix

Once known primarily for movies and documentaries, Netflix has now established itself as a go-to platform for live events after securing deals with WWE Raw and the NFL. In addition, their first-ever live combat sports event featuring Jake Paul and Mike Tyson broke several records, including overwhelming the servers, which crashed due to a surge in users. Many might think that this is the best platform for the UFC. However, it appears that the promotion will have to wait, as the CEO’s remarks have raised doubts over the Netflix-UFC deal.

“Our live event strategy is unchanged … we remain really focused on the big, breakthrough events,” said Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos, as reported by famed MMA reporter Damon Martin. “Our audiences love them … live is a relatively small part of our content spend.” Well, this statement certainly put some cold water on the speculations.

Netflix executives are currently not in the mood to bend to UFC for their broadcast rights, but Damon Martin believes that the stance could shift. The MMA reporter highlighted that the streaming giant was reluctant to sign the $5 billion deal with the WWE last year as well, but in the end, they did sign it. Martin is confident that Netflix and UFC will find common ground, but when? That is the question that is yet to be answered. Regardless, what are your thoughts on the hubbub? State your opinion in the comments below.