Mixed martial arts is one of the fastest growing sports in the world because it combines techniques from many different sports that are already established. The biggest stage for MMA is the UFC, but they have a problem: no one can watch UFC matches.
Last year, the UFC used ESPN+ to stream their events, with the monthly subscription costing fans $12. In addition to the required ESPN+ subscription, ESPN decided to also charge $80 per match as a pay-per-view, just like they did before it was on ESPN+. The combined costs meant that UFC fans would have to pay $1104 just to see every match last year.
“You have to pay like 90 bucks for a PPV every single month or pirate it. It’s terrible,” said sophomore Blaine Brown.
A common solution for fans who didn’t want to spend over $1000 on UFC was to pirate it off of illegal services like Stream East, which shouldn’t be the only way a fan can watch their favorite sport.
Pirating is a part of every sport and is usually the last resort for fans who don’t want to break the bank for entertainment, but it doesn’t change the fact that it is illegal and takes money away from the people who worked hard to put together the event. The people affected by pirating can range from cameramen to the athletes themselves and every position in between.
“I don’t like how hard it was to watch UFC. They recently made it a lot easier by putting it on Paramount, but before that it cost way too much,” said junior Cam Whitaker.
The UFC has finally listened to its fans, and has officially lowered the cost to watch their events by switching to Paramount+ and eliminating the outdated pay-per-view model. Now, to watch the 2026 slate of UFC events, it will only cost fans $9 per month, or $108 for the full year, which is almost less than it did for just one event last year.
This change will allow for the UFC to be more accessible for newer fans by making the price actually reasonable, which will also allow the sport to grow even further than it is right now. Paramount+ is also a huge positive for existing fans, as they will now be more likely to watch events legally and without paying unnecessary money.
The next event to be streamed on Paramount+ will be UFC 324, which will take place Jan. 24, with preliminary matches starting at 7 p.m. If you have ever been considering getting into watching the UFC, there is no time like the present with this insane deal for fans.
