Updated
Updated · USA TODAY · Jun 10
CBS Skips UFC White House Event as Paramount+ Puts 7-Fight Card Behind $8.99 Subscription
Updated
Updated · USA TODAY · Jun 10

CBS Skips UFC White House Event as Paramount+ Puts 7-Fight Card Behind $8.99 Subscription

3 articles · Updated · USA TODAY · Jun 10

Summary

  • Dana White said CBS will not televise the June 14 UFC White House event, leaving Paramount+ as the only way to watch the seven-fight card.
  • White said the all-streaming plan is meant to preserve a start-to-finish show that “tells the story of America,” making a split broadcast on CBS impractical.
  • The move extends UFC’s new seven-year, $7.7 billion media deal with Paramount, which replaced ESPN and ended the pay-per-view fees tied to numbered events.
  • CBS, also owned by Paramount, had carried preliminary UFC fights for free earlier this year, but the White House show—billed as UFC Freedom 250 for America’s 250th birthday—will be fully behind the streaming paywall.

Insights

Will the UFC's controversial White House pay-per-view be the subscriber knockout Paramount+ needs?
Can the UFC overcome unprecedented security and logistical challenges for its historic debut on the White House lawn?
What precedent does a commercial UFC event set for the future use of America's most historic public spaces?