Saturday night marked the beginning of a new chapter for UFC fights on Paramount+. This first broadcast under a massive $7.7 billion, seven-year deal – negotiated by David Ellison – aimed to make UFC events more accessible. Instead of the usual $80 pay-per-view cost with ESPN, UFC 324 was available to Paramount+ subscribers. The goal was to attract a wider audience, particularly for the highly anticipated lightweight championship match between Paddy Pimblett and Justin Gaethje.
Despite the event being free (not requiring a pay-per-view purchase), many fight fans were upset by the sheer amount of advertising shown before, during, and around the UFC 324 fights. While the event drew a record 5 million streams and reached over 7 million households in the U.S. and Latin America on Paramount+, the strong negative reaction to the ad-heavy format was immediate and widespread.
Instead of seeing fighters walk to the ring, viewers were shown commercials. The usual sound of coaches giving advice between rounds was replaced by ads – often taking up most of the screen and drowning everything out. Even Bruce Buffer, the UFC’s longtime announcer, quickly promoted the new Scream 7 movie before his famous catchphrase, “Iiiiiiittttttt’s time!”
UFC head Dana White didn’t apologize for the recent fan backlash, arguing that the low price of $8.99 for a Paramount+ subscription with ads should make up for any issues. He explained to reporters that the system is still being developed and that Paramount+ needs to generate revenue as well.
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2026-01-27 18:54