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Ultimate Fighting Championship 324 Marking the official start of a new era for MMA’s flagship promotion. Saturday’s event is the first numbered card since last year UFC strikes new broadcast deal with Paramount+ worth $7.7 billion It took effect. Pay-per-view is dead, long live the subscription model.
The announcement ultimate fighting championshipThe broadcast from ESPN was one of the biggest stories in combat sports last year. Following TKO sister company wwe Recognizing that PPV is dying in a streaming-centric world, the new deal means the UFC can get guaranteed funding without having to worry about whether a particular event sells or not – which is relevant for reasons we’ll discuss.
But it’s not just Dana White The company receives monetary rewards from this new agreement. With Paramount+, Fans’ financial burden to follow UFC greatly reduced. During ESPN’s seven years, American fans have to factor in the base cost of an ESPN+ subscription, which is $11.99 per month, while also paying $80 for UFC numbered events. Paramount’s subscription, meanwhile, costs $7.99 per month. If American UFC fans wanted to watch every PPV and Fight Night event last year, they would have spent $1,103.88. By 2026, they can attend the same number of events for just $95.88.
UFC president White hailed the deal as “historic” and “making the UFC one of the biggest sports in the world.” However, there was similar hype surrounding the 2019 deal with ESPN, a partnership that was later criticized by fans for rising prices and a poor streaming experience, and then by the company for declining pay-per-view performance.
this new york postLast March, Erich Richter reported that UFC pay-per-view buys were “down significantly,” which coincides with the recent apparent decline in enthusiasm among many UFC fans. The product has grown stale, and the grandeur of a sport that once attracted mainstream attention has now been reduced to White occasionally live-streaming his latest, frankly uninspiring, game announcements on Instagram. “If you don’t like it, don’t watch it,” the UFC president said last week in response to criticism of his matchmaking. This is where we are now.
Simply abandoning the PPV format will not change the product in itself. In theory, the lack of a paywall could even be damaging, giving the UFC less incentive to support numbered cards as long as fans continue to pay subscription fees. The success of the Paramount deal will therefore depend on quality control rather than cutting corners on new financial guarantees. But if the UFC 324 card is any standard, quality won’t be an issue.
The Paramount Era kicks off with a bang in Las Vegas, and Liverpool have their own Paddy Pimblett vs. Justin Gaethje Won the interim lightweight title. The return of former double champion Amanda Nunes against the formidable bantamweight queen Kayla Harrison was supposed to bolster that goal in what would be one of the biggest women’s boxing fights of all time, only for Harrison forced to miss due to neck injury Only ten days were left before her first title defense. The card also saw fights between former champion Sean O’Malley and Ross Namajunas, but was still stacked, with Umar Nurmagomedov vs. Devezon Figueiredo – easily a fight night headliner – finding himself in the preliminary card.
The card is further aided by the addition of Kate Scott, one of the most respected figures in sports broadcasting, to the production. Scott, known for her work as a CBS Sports host covering championship matches as well as high-profile boxing matches, will take over the broadcast booth for her first fight at UFC 324, bringing extra legitimacy to all new viewers. Her arrival could signal a change of pace for UFC programming; previously, commentator Jon Anik served as the de facto anchor, filling the air with a strong background noise of electric guitars between bouts, a unique UFC theme for decades. That’s not Scott’s style, so expect Dazn and Netflix’s combat sports titles to take a similar format.
It’s vital that the UFC doesn’t just show off for their Paramount opener, although maintaining that caliber will be difficult due to a chronic lack of superstar power. But with Saturday’s main event, that issue may be resolved.
One of the most eccentric figures in the UFC, Pimblitt has long been touted as the “next Conor McGregor” – a sharp-tongued, charismatic mainstream figure. However, he’s far from a darling among the UFC’s most die-hard fans, who believe that despite his undefeated status in the company, “The Bad Guy” has fast-tracked his way to the title ahead of potentially more deserving contenders, such as No. 1-ranked Aman Chalukian.
However, Pimblett has repeatedly defied his doubters and his status as the UFC’s poster boy will be recognized if he captures the gold on Saturday by defeating one of the greatest fighters in lightweight history. It would bring them perfectly into the Paramount era, Prefabricated blockbuster feud with champion Ilia Topuria – Currently away from the cage due to personal reasons – Built around 2026.
It’s going to be a big year for the UFC, which looks set to include a fight night at the White House and, potentially, McGregor’s return. For better or worse, both could be decisive factors in determining the trajectory of the sport in the coming years. But now, we look forward to a new beginning that brings hope for the UFC to return to its former glory.