Paramount+ to Become Exclusive Home of Zuffa Boxing in Landmark Media Rights Agreement

NEW YORK – Paramount+ has secured exclusive broadcasting rights for Zuffa Boxing throughout North America, marking a significant expansion into the sport for TKO Group Holdings. The long-term media rights agreement, announced Monday, will see Paramount+ air 12 Zuffa Boxing cards in 2026, with the potential for select events to be simulcast on CBS. Additional cards are expected to be added in subsequent years, signaling a substantial investment in boxing content by the streaming service.

Zuffa Boxing, a promotion formed in March by TKO and Saudi Arabia entertainment conglomerate Sela, is under the leadership of UFC president and CEO Dana White and WWE president Nick Khan. The partnership also includes Sela CEO Dr. Rakhan Alharty and Turki Alalshikh, the chairman of the General Entertainment Authority and president of the Saudi Boxing Federation, underscoring a collaboration between established sports and entertainment entities and Saudi Arabian interests.

Turki Alalshikh, a key figure in the venture, stated, "This partnership with Paramount reinforces our vision to redefine the way 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’s involvement in boxing extends beyond this new promotion. In 2024, he acquired "The Ring" magazine and promptly launched a boxing series under the same name. He has also been instrumental in funding and promoting high-profile boxing events, including the Terence Crawford vs. Errol Spence Jr. bout at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas earlier this month, which is viewed by some as a soft launch of Zuffa Boxing’s approach. Crawford defeated Spence by TKO in that fight, becoming the undisputed welterweight champion.

Dana White commented on the timing of the deal, stating, "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 Group Holdings, the parent company of both UFC and WWE, previously finalized a seven-year agreement to make Paramount+ the exclusive distributor of all UFC numbered and "Fight Night" events. This pre-existing relationship between TKO and Paramount is set to streamline the integration of Zuffa Boxing content onto the platform.

According to White, Zuffa Boxing will operate as a development league, focusing on matching emerging prospects in competitive bouts to cultivate the next generation of boxing stars. These fighters are expected to eventually feature on Alalshikh’s "The Ring" and Riyadh Season events. This model bears similarities to the UFC’s launch of "The Ultimate Fighter" reality TV show in 2005, which served as a springboard for numerous future UFC champions. Alumni of "The Ultimate Fighter" include Forrest Griffin, Rashad Evans, Michael Bisping, Kamaru Usman, Rose Namajunas, and TJ Dillashaw, all of whom achieved championship success in the UFC.

"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 explained. "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 has a background as a trainer and aspiring boxing manager in the late 1990s, was involved in Zuffa LLC, the company that acquired UFC in 2001 before its sale to Endeavor in 2016. He credits his experience with UFC for providing insights into how to address the shortcomings he observed in boxing.

White has openly stated that he intends to model Zuffa Boxing after "Tuesday Night Fights," a program that aired on the USA Network from 1982 to 1998 and gained a cult following for its focus on competitive matchups and rising talent. The program showcased numerous future champions and provided a platform for emerging boxers to gain exposure.

While specific details of Zuffa Boxing’s format are still under development, White has indicated that he plans to reduce the number of weight divisions currently recognized in boxing. The current landscape features 17 weight divisions, each with multiple champions recognized by different sanctioning bodies.

Furthermore, White aims to distance Zuffa Boxing from the existing four-belt championship system operated by the WBC (World Boxing Council), WBA (World Boxing Association), WBO (World Boxing Organization), and IBF (International Boxing Federation). These organizations each recognize their own champions, often leading to confusion and disputes over who is the true titleholder in a given weight class.

In an effort to establish an in-house rankings system and its own championships, TKO has been advocating for an amendment to the "Professional Boxing Safety Act," which was enacted in 1996. The proposed adjustments, which have garnered bipartisan support, are expected to be presented before Congress later this year. However, the proposal has faced criticism from some within the boxing community.

White maintains that Zuffa Boxing will proceed regardless of whether the proposed changes are approved, and he downplays the significance of the opposition. "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 stated. "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 that Zuffa Boxing has the potential to revitalize the American boxing market, which he views as having underperformed in recent years. He emphasizes that Zuffa Boxing will operate as an independent league, distinct from existing boxing promotions.

"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."

He concluded, "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.

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