Paramount and UFC announced new seasons of “Dana White’s Contender Series” and “The Ultimate Fighter” on Saturday. Both shows will stream on Paramount+ in the United States, Latin America, and Australia.
The addition of the two shows is part of a seven-year media rights deal between the two entities that named Paramount+ the exclusive streamer of UFC events in the United States in August, and further expanded rights to Latin America and Australia in October.
“Dana White’s Contender Series” will feature a new batch of potential UFC fighters who are hoping to impress White and a cohort of UFC matchmakers. The series first aired in 2017 and launched the careers of Sean O’Malley, Jamahal Hill, Jack Della Maddalena, Carlos Prates, Michael Morales, Bo Nickal, Maycee Barber, Jailton Almeida, Brendan Allen, Caio Borralho, Johnny Walker and more.
“The Ultimate Fighter” features a group of MMA fighters who live together and follows them as they train, fight, and co-exist. The series has helped support the careers of Julianna Peña, Kamaru Usman, Forrest Griffin, Rashad Evans, Rose Namajunas, Michael Bisping, Robert Whittaker, Nate Diaz, Tony Ferguson, T.J. Dillashaw, Matt Serra, Michael Chiesa, Al Iaquinta, Kelvin Gastelum, Uriah Hall and many others.
The partnership will also see Paramount streaming 13 marquee numbered events and 30 Fight Nights, with major matches simulcast on CBS. The deal marked the end of UFC’s pay-per-view model and is valued at $1.1 billion.
“I couldn’t be more excited to join forces with Dana, Ari and Mark. Rarely do opportunities arise to partner on an exclusive basis with a global sports powerhouse like UFC — an organization with extraordinary global recognition, scale and cultural impact,” Paramount CEO and chairman David Ellison said in a statement at the time. “Paramount’s advantage lies in the expansive reach of our linear and streaming platforms. Live sports continue to be a cornerstone of our broader strategy — driving engagement, subscriber growth and long-term loyalty, and the addition of UFC’s year-round must-watch events to our platforms is a major win. We look forward to delivering this premium content to millions of fans in the U.S., and potentially beyond.”
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