UFC 326 will make history by partially airing on CBS
UFC 326 will make history by partially airing on CBS
Following Disney’s lead, Paramount will leverage its broadcast channel to bring more viewers to its UFC streams.
Paramount Skydance is looking to land a ratings knockout with UFC 326. When Paramount took over broadcasting duties for UFC events at the start of the year, it was clear that the company was going to be doing things differently than ESPN had in the previous rights deal. Gone were the days of having to pony up a pay-per-view fee on top of a streaming subscription, but now, Paramount is making a move that has never happened in the history of UFC. When UFC 326 airs on Saturday, March 7, not only will the card stream in its entirety on Paramount+, but part of the action will also air live on CBS as well.
Key Details:
- Broadcast and streaming: UFC 326 will air in part on CBS.
- Strong precedent: Disney would often use ABC to broadcast parts of UFC events when they were shown on ESPN+.
- Win them back: Viewers complained about the frequency of ads during Paramount’s first UFC stream.
CBS will offer coverage of UFC 326 from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET on Saturday, March 7. That will include parts of the prelims, as well as the main card, though it is not scheduled to include the main event of Max Holloway vs. Charles Oliviera. The remainder of UFC 326 will be available exclusively on Paramount+. Customers can stream UFC events with a subscription to either Paramount+ plan, starting with the Essential tier at $9 per month. There is no pay-per-view fee or other additional cost attached to streaming UFC fights on Paramount+.
Major UFC cards may have a reputation as being premium events, but there is precedent for airing bouts on broadcast channels. When ESPN held the rights to the fighting league, it would occasionally air parts of early preliminary cards on ABC, but never has any portion of a main card for a numbered UFC event aired on a broadcast channel. While other UFC events have aired on broadcast channels, this will be the first time that one of the promotion’s marquee cards will be available free, over the air; even if the main event will still be a streaming exclusive.
While Paramount had openly discussed bringing UFC events to its broadcast network when the deal was initially announced, some believe that this quick move could be due to the lukewarm audience response fans have had to the early fights on Paramount+. After the first UFC event on the streamer in January, customers complained that they saw far more commercials during the stream than they’d become accustomed to. Of course, they no longer had to purchase a pay-per-view to watch, so the trade-off was inevitable.
Will UFC and CBS be a match made in heaven? With the NFL season now over, CBS could get UFC content more frequently in the months to come, and fans can watch the channel with subscriptions to DIRECTV, Fubo, Hulu + Live TV, and YouTube TV. All UFC event coverage will continue to be available to stream on Paramount+.
Paramount Plus
Paramount+ is a subscription video streaming service that includes on-demand access to 40,000+ TV show episodes from BET, CBS, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, Nick Jr., and more. Get free access with a Walmart+ subscription.
Paramount+ includes “1883,” “Tulsa King,” “Star Trek: Discovery,” “SpongeBob SquarePants,” and “PAW Patrol.” Subscribers can watch the NFL, college football, The Masters, college basketball, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, Serie A, and NWSL. The service also offers the option to watch your live CBS affiliate. The upgraded ad-free package includes premium movies and shows from Showtime.