Dana White has returned the declaration that Pay-per-view is useless simply 24 hours after asserting the UFC’s groundbreaking $7.7 billion contract with Paramount+.
The UFC president initially declared the top of the pay-per-view mannequin throughout the announcement of the seven-year Paramount Partnership Monday. The deal will make 13 numbered UFC occasions and 30 struggle nights accessible on Paramount+ at no further prices beginning in 2026, marking what seems to be a important shift from the PPV construction that has outlined UFC programming since 1993.
Paramount+Trades change UFC Media panorama, however pay-per-view maintains its function
Dana White emphasised that the brand new association would now pay $79.99 for ESPN+ subscription charges, eliminating the monetary boundaries for followers accessing premium UFC occasions. TKO President Mark Shapiro went additional, calling the pay-per-view a “outdated” system and declaring it a “one thing of the previous.”
Dana White
By Tuesday, nonetheless, Dana White had already eased his stance throughout interviews with a number of shops. Speaking to the New York Put up, he supplied a extra nuanced perspective on the way forward for PPV.
“What I like about this enterprise is you can lay out what you assume the struggle might be a yr and the fights have appeared.
The UFC chief pointed to his quick involvement in different fight sports activities ventures to clarify his claims. “I might be collaborating in Pay-per-view this Saturday. Pay-per-view has not died,” he declared.
White’s fast reversal is as a result of UFC maintains a number of enterprise advantages past core MMA programming. The group stays concerned in boxing promotions, energy slap competitions and jiu-jitsu occasions, all of which can be accessible to make use of the pay-per-view mannequin.
The Paramount transaction represents a major monetary improve for the UFC, nearly doubles media rights revenues from round $350 million a yr obtained from ESPN. Nevertheless, White’s feedback recommend that the group desires to keep up flexibility in particular occasions and promotional alternatives that might assure premium pricing.
The timing of White’s clarification drew criticism from trade observers who warned of Monday’s definitive assertion and obvious contradictions relating to the PPV’s finish. The fast modifications to messaging occurred inside 24 hours of the preliminary announcement.
The Paramount settlement was formally launched in January 2026, and the UFC will proceed its present ESPN association for the rest of 2025. Throughout this transition interval, followers will encounter current pay-per-view constructions for numbered occasions.
