UFC Replaced ESPN with Paramount+ in 2026
The UFC did not move to Netflix. TKO and Paramount announced a seven-year U.S. media-rights agreement in August 2025, making Paramount+ the exclusive U.S. home for UFC events beginning in 2026, with selected events also scheduled for CBS. The agreement replaced ESPN as the promotion’s primary U.S. rights partner.
In July 2025, TKO and Paramount announced a seven-year agreement covering UFC media rights in the United States. Under the announced terms, Paramount+ becomes the exclusive U.S. home for UFC events beginning in 2026. The package includes all 13 numbered events and 30 Fight Night events each year, with selected events also scheduled for CBS. The companies described the arrangement as a broad streaming and broadcast package, rather than a limited collection of pay-per-view cards. UFC’s announcement of the Paramount agreement lays out the event totals and start year.
The change matters because UFC distribution had been built around ESPN in the United States. The ESPN partnership began in 2019 and put events across ESPN’s television channels, streaming service and pay-per-view system. The new deal changes the main subscription platform and gives Paramount+ a regular slate of live UFC programming throughout the year. Fans will still need to check event-specific listings for broadcast details, including which cards receive a CBS simulcast.
Before the Paramount deal was announced, White’s remarks about the negotiations attracted attention because rights discussions can affect how events are packaged and sold. But a reported disagreement, a negotiating position and a completed contract are different things. The public announcement ultimately provides the clearest account of the outcome: Paramount and TKO set a seven-year term, a 2026 start and a defined annual schedule. Those confirmed terms supersede unverified speculation about other possible destinations.
Netflix was among the platforms mentioned in online discussion, but the announced UFC U.S. rights agreement went to Paramount and CBS. There is no basis in the published deal announcement to describe Netflix as the new UFC home. For viewers, the practical point is to follow official UFC schedules and the platforms listed for each event as the transition approaches. The rights change also gives the promotion a single subscription destination for its full live-event slate, while selected broadcast cards can reach viewers through CBS.
The agreement marks a major distribution change, but it does not alter the sporting format of UFC events. Fight cards, rankings and championship bouts remain governed by the promotion and athletic commissions; the deal concerns where the events are carried. White’s comments generated interest because the media contract affects access and presentation for millions of viewers. The later contract announcement offers the confirmed details: Paramount+ starts in 2026, covers the full numbered-event and Fight Night calendar, and includes selected CBS broadcasts.
As the changeover gets closer, viewers should use UFC event pages and Paramount’s official listings to confirm availability, start times and any CBS simulcast. The deal is a substantial shift for UFC distribution in the United States, and its most reliable details are the ones stated by TKO, Paramount and UFC in their formal announcement.
