Just how big of a surprise was the UFC’s bombshell $7.7 billion deal with Paramount and CBS? So big that even UFC CEO Dana White didn’t see it coming.

The Ultimate Fighting Championship is making a seismic shift in its U.S. broadcast home. Starting in 2026, all UFC events will air on Paramount+ as part of a seven year agreement between Paramount and UFC parent company TKO Group Holdings.

Skydance-owned Paramount will become the exclusive U.S. home of Ultimate Fighting Championship under a seven-year streaming deal valued at about $7.7 billion US, the first major strategic move by the newly merged media giant under new CEO David Ellison.