Boxing is entering a new era. Beginning in January 2026, Paramount+ will become the exclusive home of Zuffa Boxing across the U.S., Canada, and Latin America — with select events simulcast on CBS and other Paramount platforms.
This deal marks the most significant media rights move in boxing for years and signals the start of a new model for combat sports: premium, year-round, globally distributed boxing content integrated with UFC-style promotion and Saudi-backed investment.
The Deal
- Exclusive partnership: Paramount+ will stream a minimum of 12 Zuffa Boxing cards per year, with scope to expand in future cycles.
- Cross-platform reach: While Paramount+ is the primary distributor, select bouts will air on CBS and other Paramount networks, maximizing mainstream exposure.
- Leadership strength: Zuffa Boxing is powered by a heavyweight leadership team — Dana White (UFC president), HE Turki Alalshikh (Chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority), Dr. Rakan Alharthy (Sela CEO), and Nick Khan (WWE president and TKO board member).
This structure blends UFC’s proven promotional machine with Saudi Arabia’s growing global sports portfolio and Paramount’s content distribution muscle.
Why This Matters?
Boxing has long struggled with fragmented broadcasting, competing promoters, and inconsistent accessibility for fans. The Zuffa Boxing–Paramount partnership represents a reset button:
- One-stop platform: Paramount+ becomes the hub for elite and rising boxing talent, solving distribution headaches that have dogged the sport.
- Year-round programming: With a guaranteed slate of events, fans get consistency and predictability — hallmarks of modern sports consumption.
- Global ambition: By starting in the Americas but backed by Saudi Arabia’s entertainment strategy, Zuffa Boxing clearly has expansion beyond these markets in its sights.
Cindy Holland, Paramount’s direct-to-consumer chair, framed the partnership as “a bold new chapter… delivering premium sports to fans, year-round marquee events, and long-term value.”
Boxing’s Strategic Repositioning
For decades, boxing has ceded ground to MMA, with the UFC becoming the dominant global combat sports property. Zuffa Boxing is designed to reverse that trend by:
- Leveraging UFC’s promotional DNA — high production values, storylines, and a strong pipeline for new talent.
- Injecting Saudi investment power — ensuring scale, global reach, and event credibility.
- Securing mainstream distribution — Paramount’s platforms make boxing accessible to casual fans, not just diehards.
As Dana White himself put it: “Paramount will be the home for UFC and boxing fans to watch the greatest fights in combat sports.”
What Comes Next?
Details on Zuffa Boxing’s fight schedule and first headline event will be announced in the coming months. But the framework is clear: a sport long criticized for disorganization now has a chance to modernize.
Saudi Arabia, already positioning itself as a global hub for combat sports, will play a central role in shaping boxing’s future — this time with the infrastructure, capital, and media distribution aligned from the start.
Final Word
With Paramount, TKO, and Saudi-backed Zuffa Boxing joining forces, boxing is entering a new media era. The sport’s revival will no longer rely on one-off superfights but on a sustainable calendar of events, delivered through a unified, global-first platform.
For fans, broadcasters, and fighters alike, January 2026 won’t just be another date on the boxing calendar. It will mark the beginning of a new chapter in combat sports history.
Don’t Just Watch Sport, Understand It. Join the 365247 Newsletter for daily insights
For brands, agencies and services
IMAGE: Zuffa LLC
