With just a few months left in the year, UFC fans are gearing up for a major shift in how they watch events. The long-standing UFC-ESPN partnership is approaching its final stage, and by the end of this year, the two companies will part ways, closing a multi-year chapter. Starting in January 2026, Paramount+ will officially become the home of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, offering access through affordable subscription plans.

The UFC-Paramount deal, announced in August, marked a significant change for the sport. Paramount has committed $7.7 billion over seven years for exclusive broadcasting rights to UFC events in the USA, Latin America, and Australia. In addition to UFC fights, Paramount will also hold exclusive rights to Zuffa’s boxing league under Dana White, set to launch next year. Despite this promising development, Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison recently informed investors that subscription prices will be increasing.

Currently, Paramount+ subscriptions cost $59.99 per year ($7.99 per month) with ads and $119.99 per year ($12.99 per month) without ads. Senior journalist Damon Martin highlighted this on X, stating, “Paramount+ prices are going up in 2026. As announced today, the prices for a subscription are increasing as the UFC moves there in January.” Annual plans will also see hikes, with the Essential plan moving to $89.99 per year and the Premium plan to $139.99 per year.

Meanwhile, Paramount has been under scrutiny for its handling of employees. Last month, Paramount laid off around 1,000 workers, and amid further restructuring and the merger with Skydance, roughly 600 employees resigned in protest after the company required them to return to the office several days a week instead of continuing the previous work-from-home arrangement. Despite these internal challenges, Paramount continues to earn the trust of UFC fans.

UFC fans react to Paramount+ subscription price hike

Since last year, Paramount has focused on cutting costs, targeting operational expenses through layoffs. The process began in Latin American countries like Colombia, affecting thousands of employees. Despite these challenges, Paramount is thriving with its new partnership with the UFC, and fans appear to accept the subscription price increase. In Damon Martin’s post, a fan commented, “Still saving close to $1000 on pay per views.”

Currently, a UFC pay-per-view event costs $79.99, meaning fans would spend around $959.88 over 12 months. Even with the Paramount+ subscription hike, fans can access UFC content for $139.99 annually. One fan shared their view, commenting, “I mean we all saw this coming and it makes sense but it just leaves a bad taste in consumer mouths after the TKO press tour touting how fight fans can get all the content for the current price.”

Paramount-Skydance CEO David Ellison has high expectations for the new deal with upcoming UFC content. In the letter, Ellison calls the UFC “a unicorn sports property” with over 100 million domestic fans. He also highlighted that the UFC has not split its rights across multiple broadcast partners, meaning fans only need to pay for a single platform. Another fan emphasized this, commenting, “$150 max a year still a steal, $80-90 for each event was crazy apart from the ESPN year.”

Despite the price increase, the annual cost under Paramount+ remains reasonable compared to what fans were paying under ESPN. Earlier this year, rumors suggested the UFC might divide its rights among different media platforms. While another fan questioned, “How we still have the PPV model for UFC,” it shows that even today, the UFC continues to generate significant revenue from its events, even though the traditional pay-per-view model largely ended years ago.

Still, one fan admitted they did not expect the Paramount hike, commenting, “No one and I repeat absolutely no one expected.” While ESPN’s pay-per-view model was expensive and occasionally caused technical glitches or errors, straining its relationship with the UFC, some fans are less concerned with Paramount’s increase.

One fan said, “Idc what it costs as long as it isn’t ESPN,” and another added, “Stop buying this sh-t and just stream, people.“

With only four UFC events left under ESPN, all eyes are now on UFC 322. The headline welterweight title clash features Islam Makhachev taking on Jack Della Maddalena. UFC veteran Chael Sonnen has accused ESPN of dampening the “buzz” surrounding the event as their partnership draws to a close. These are significant allegations, and ESPN has yet to comment. Stay tuned for updates.