Paramount: UFC fights can air on TNT after Warner Bros. merger

Barely a few weeks into Paramount’s new $7.7 billion deal with UFC, and there could already be some major changes afoot.

During an investor call on Monday morning to discuss details of its Warner Bros. Discovery purchase, Paramount acknowledged the possibility that UFC fights could begin airing on TNT as part of the company’s broader sports and linear television strategy.

Per Brian Steinberg of Variety, Paramount said it has “flexibility with UFC” to make its content available across platforms, including on a cable channel like TNT. Paramount’s current deal with UFC includes a provision to air some fights on the CBS broadcast network. All cards are available in full on Paramount+. The Warner Bros. Discovery purchase gives Paramount another linear option to maximize the value of its UFC rights.

Placing UFC fights onto TNT is one way Paramount can extract more value out of the declining linear television business. The additional content will allow TNT to command higher carriage fees from distributors down the line.

During the call, Paramount said that combining its linear business with the linear business of Warner Bros. Discovery will create “operational efficiencies” for its sports portfolio. One could imagine a reverse scenario where, say, certain postseason MLB or NHL inventory under the TNT Sports umbrella begins to air on CBS to maximize viewership and juice retransmission fees for the broadcaster.

For UFC, the prospect of having a larger linear presence is ideal. Much of the promotion’s history has been tied to the pay-per-view model, inherently limiting its reach. However, if fights will now be distributed on both broadcast and cable networks for the next seven years, in addition to streaming on Paramount+, and at no extra cost to consumers, UFC could find itself growing faster than it could’ve ever imagined.