Paramount+ to become exclusive North American broadcaster of Zuffa Boxing in landmark deal

NEW YORK – Paramount and TKO Group Holdings announced Monday a long-anticipated foray into professional boxing, with Paramount+ securing exclusive broadcasting rights for Zuffa Boxing throughout North America. The long-term media rights agreement stipulates that Paramount+ will air 12 Zuffa Boxing events in 2026, with the potential for select cards to be simulcast on CBS. Further expansion of the number of events is anticipated in subsequent years.

Zuffa Boxing, officially formed in March by TKO in collaboration with Saudi Arabian entertainment conglomerate Sela, will be under the leadership of UFC President and CEO Dana White and WWE President Nick Khan. They will work in partnership with Sela CEO Dr. Rakhan Alharty and Turki Alalshikh, who serves as chairman of the General Entertainment Authority and president of the Saudi Boxing Federation.

Turki Alalshikh stated, "This partnership with Paramount reinforces our vision to redefine how viewers consume boxing. More fight fans will now have access to watch some of the most exciting boxers around. We have seen the proof that the appetite is there; this is the future for live boxing coverage and will ensure the sport continues to thrive."

Alalshikh, who acquired "The Ring" magazine in 2024 and subsequently launched a boxing series under the same name, has become a significant figure in financing and promoting major boxing events. Recent examples include the Terence Crawford vs. Errol Spence Jr. bout at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, considered by many to be an unofficial launch event for Zuffa Boxing. Crawford defeated Spence Jr. by TKO to become the undisputed welterweight champion.

Dana White told CBS Sports, "Timing is everything, and the timing was perfect. I met [Alalshikh] two years ago, and off of our first meeting, I had less-than-zero intent on getting into boxing. As I got to get to know him, he’s obviously very passionate about the sport. He loves it, and the boxing fights that have been made since he got into the sport would have never been done in a million years."

TKO, the parent company of UFC and WWE, recently finalized a seven-year agreement making Paramount+ the exclusive distributor of all UFC numbered events and "Fight Night" events.

According to White, Zuffa Boxing intends to function as a developmental platform, pitting promising, evenly matched fighters against each other to cultivate future stars for Alalshikh’s "The Ring" and Riyadh Season events. This model mirrors the strategy employed by UFC with "The Ultimate Fighter" reality TV show, which launched in 2005 and produced numerous UFC champions, including Forrest Griffin, Rashad Evans, Michael Bisping, Kamaru Usman, Rose Namajunas, and T.J. Dillashaw.

"When you think about the UFC and where we came from, it’s hard for people to really wrap their heads around how humble the beginnings were," White said. "We are going to start [Zuffa Boxing] from the ground up on the Paramount platform and matchmake great fights with guys who should be fighting each other at a young point in their career, and you start to build a relationship with the fans, and they start to trust your product. Whatever night it lands on, it’s destination TV, and people want to be there and people want to see it."

White, who previously worked as a trainer and aspired to be a boxing manager in the late 1990s, was part of Zuffa LLC, the company that acquired UFC in 2001 before its sale to Endeavor in 2016. He played a pivotal role in transforming UFC into a global leader in MMA promotion by addressing what he perceived as shortcomings in boxing.

White has stated his intention to replicate this approach within boxing, drawing inspiration from the former USA Network program "Tuesday Night Fights," which aired from 1982 to 1998.

While specific details regarding Zuffa Boxing’s format are still under consideration, White anticipates a reduction in the current 17 weight divisions recognized in boxing. He also aims to move away from the existing four-belt championship system operated by the WBC, WBA, WBO, and IBF sanctioning bodies.

To facilitate this vision, TKO has spearheaded efforts to amend the "Professional Boxing Safety Act," enacted in 1996. The proposed amendments, which have garnered bipartisan support, are expected to be presented before Congress later this year, despite facing criticism from some members of the boxing community.

White emphasized that Zuffa Boxing will proceed regardless of whether the proposed amendments are approved, dismissing concerns as exaggerated.

"There will be zero changes to the [Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act of 2000]. Not one word will be changed; we are going to add on to it," White said. "So, the fighters who want to fight under the Muhammad Ali Act exactly the way it is will have that opportunity to do that, or you can bet on me and fight with me under our version of the Muhammad Ali Act. That thing has been blown out of proportion, and I get it, I knew people were going to freak out because that’s what people do. The Muhammad Ali Act was put in place with all good intentions, but I think that it has held the business back."

White believes Zuffa Boxing can revitalize the American boxing market, which he argues has underperformed in recent years. He views Zuffa Boxing as an independent league, separate from existing boxing promotions, and does not foresee co-promoting events with established promoters.

"I live in my own little bubble; I’m going to do my thing," he said. "I’m not worried about what any of those guys are doing, and to be honest, those guys don’t think big enough. These guys have been in the business for however long, and I think all of those guys think small. They don’t think the way that I think. I’m not competing with the other promoters; I’m competing with whatever takes the attention of the fans on the night that we are on television."

"Some people say I can save [boxing], and some people say I’m the worst thing to ever happen to it. I have absolutely zero ego going into this thing because I know how messed up the sport is. I have a plan, I started to build a team, and I’m going to put my head down and grind like I do for the next couple of years, and we will see where we end up."

"I am very optimistic about this."

Paramount, a Skydance corporation, is the parent company of CBS Sports.