TKO president floats UFC on TNT, HBO if Paramount wins Warner Bros. Discovery

As Paramount gets aggressive in its attempt to purchase Warner Bros. Discovery, one sports executive is mulling the possibilities the potential acquisition could present for his properties.

At the UBS Global Media and Communications Conference earlier this week, TKO president and COO Mark Shapiro floated some interesting possibilities for UFC, which recently reached a seven-year, $7.7 billion pact with Paramount, if Paramount succeeds in its hostile takeover bid for WBD.

“If [Paramount] is able to get that asset, I like a world in which we could potentially live on HBO,” Shapiro said, per Sports Media Watch. “I like a world where we could potentially live on TNT because historically, institutionally, these are sports destinations, right?”

As it stands, UFC events will air exclusively on Paramount+ as part of the deal, with certain numbered events getting the simulcast treatment on CBS. However, a potential acquisition of WBD could open up some opportunities for increased distribution of UFC and TKO’s other combat sports property, Zuffa Boxing, which itself just inked a broadcast deal with Paramount.

HBO, of course, has a storied history of airing boxing in the United States. The premium television network broadcast the sport — including memorable fights like the Rumble in the Jungle between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman and the Thrilla in Manila between Ali and Joe Frazier — for 45 years before shuttering the division in 2018. No doubt, UFC and Zuffa Boxing would love to experience some of the brand halo that HBO can provide.

TNT could also play a role in TKO’s properties should Paramount win the battle for WBD. While the initial deal between Paramount and TKO called for UFC events to stream on Paramount+, it wouldn’t be unprecedented to bring some of that inventory back to cable. Recently, NBC relaunched NBCSN to put Peacock-exclusive sports content back on cable.

Especially now that UFC has done away with the pay-per-view model, giving events wider distribution could be a smart move for the fighting promotion. For TNT, adding UFC programming could help maintain or increase its distribution fees, making the move a win-win for both sides.

Of course, this is all predicated on whether Paramount can succeed in its takeover bid for WBD. But Shapiro’s willingness to work with those WBD brands, especially TNT, supports Paramount owner David Ellison’s assertion that his company can create greater value for WBD’s legacy assets. That argument is a key part of Ellison’s pitch to WBD shareholders. Should WBD go forward with the Netflix deal, the company’s legacy assets would be spun off into Discovery Global, leaving the future of TNT, CNN, and others very uncertain.

For now, Shapiro is dealing purely in hypotheticals. But if Paramount wins out in its bid to buy WBD, don’t be surprised to see UFC end up on HBO or TNT.