UFC £5.7bn broadcast deal may be 'terrible' for fighters

Retired MMA fable Georges St-Pierre says nan UFC's caller broadcast woody pinch Paramount could beryllium "terrible" for fighters.

The UFC announced connected Monday it had signed a seven-year woody pinch Paramount which would bring astir pay-per-views to an extremity successful nan US - pinch events appearing connected Paramount's streaming work aliases connected CBS TV network.

The woody is reportedly worthy much than £700m a year, aliases £5.7bn successful total, an unthinkable summation from nan £370m five-year woody nan UFC had pinch ESPN previously.

St-Pierre, a two-weight UFC champion and an all-time great, questioned wherever nan woody leaves fighters - particularly those who negotiated a trim of pay-per-view sales.

"It could beryllium bully for nan UFC, arsenic a promoter, [but] unspeakable for nan fighters because erstwhile I was competing I was capable to person a awesome statement to discuss connected my contract," St-Pierre told Covers.

"I could show nan UFC, 'hey, if you want maine to do each nan promotion, I want to go a partner. I want a portion of nan pastry to discuss a portion of nan pay-per-view revenue'.

"Because if I'm doing each nan promotion, I'm helping you, but you request to thief me. You request to make maine a partner.

"So it mightiness beryllium a bad point for nan fighters successful a measurement that they person little leverage [to discuss much money]."

Jake Paul, who has publically feuded pinch UFC president Dana White complete combatant salary since swapping YouTube for boxing, said athletes now person a "clear picture" of what nan UFC's gross is.

"No much PPV excuses. Get your worthy boys and girls," he added.

The biggest stars for illustration Ronda Rousey, St-Pierre and Jon Jones were often fixed 'PPV points' connected apical of their conflict purse, allowing them to return a trim of nan wide income from immoderate conflict nighttime they were progressive with.

Most UFC fighters person either a level interest per arena aliases a show and seperate triumph fee, while location is besides a trim of nan UFC's sponsorship woody pinch their clothing partner Venum.

UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall said connected the Ariel Helwani Show, external he was not judge really nan caller exemplary would impact fighters.

Manchester combatant Aspinall will header a PPV event, UFC 321, successful October.

The caller broadcast woody will footwear successful astatine nan commencement of 2026 and aft first reports stated nan PPV exemplary would extremity completely, White said location was still nan anticipation of a fewer standalone PPV events each year.

This woody only applies to nan US, pinch TNT Sports nan UFC's broadcast partner successful nan UK.

The UFC has utilized PPVs arsenic a gross generator since its first arena successful 1993.

But reports indicated PPV income person been decreasing successful caller years. The UFC staged 14 PPV events successful 2024 successful nan US that were astir £60 each.

White says nan fighters will use from nan accrued vulnerability successful nan caller broadcast deal, but has made nary mention of immoderate financial benefits.