CEO Dana White plans to meet with Donald Trump to finalize the July 4th, 2026 UFC event at the White House.
Washington: UFC CEO Dana White revealed that shortly after the announcement of the billion-dollar broadcast rights deal with Paramount, he had yet to hear from President Donald Trump about the fight organisation’s new streaming home. White plans to meet Trump and his daughter Ivanka in Washington on August 28 to discuss logistics for the proposed UFC event scheduled for next year’s Fourth of July at the White House. Trump previously expressed his desire to host a UFC match on the White House grounds, attracting up to 20,000 spectators to celebrate America’s 250th independence anniversary. White confirmed, “It’s absolutely going to happen,” with the event to be broadcast live on CBS.
White reflected on UFC’s rise from its humble beginnings when the Fertitta brothers purchased the promotion for $2 million in 2001, appointing him to lead the fledgling organisation. Under his guidance, UFC grew into a multi-billion-dollar enterprise, culminating in a $4 billion sale in 2016 and lucrative broadcast deals with Fox and ESPN. The new seven-year deal with Paramount, commencing in 2026, is UFC’s richest yet—averaging $1.1 billion annually—with all cards airing on Paramount+ and select numbered events simulcasting on CBS.
Despite the involvement of broadcasters like ESPN, Amazon, and Netflix during negotiations, Paramount emerged as the frontrunner early on. This deal followed the $8 billion merger of Skydance and Paramount, creating a new entertainment giant. White praised Skydance CEO David Ellison, now Paramount’s chairman and CEO, as a visionary and aggressive risk-taker aligned with UFC’s business ethos.
The Paramount deal significantly increases UFC’s annual broadcast revenue, nearly doubling ESPN’s previous $550 million commitment. It also simplifies fan access by consolidating UFC content on Paramount+, available for $7.99 to $12.99 per month, eliminating separate pay-per-view charges. Paramount plans to expand UFC rights internationally as opportunities arise.
White noted that UFC matchmakers would soon shape the premiere Paramount card, but it is too early to announce a main event for the White House fight night, describing the event as “1-of-1.” He also mentioned ongoing deliberations about broadcast schedules and potential new homes for shows like “The Ultimate Fighter,” “Road to UFC,” and “Dana White’s Contender Series,” with traditional pay-per-view start times possibly changing, especially on nights when events air on CBS.
Addressing fighter pay, White indicated the deal would have a significant positive impact, emphasising a history of pay increases alongside revenue growth: “Every time we win, everybody wins.” Boxer Jake Paul highlighted on social media that the decline of the pay-per-view model removes previous opaqueness around fighter earnings, urging fighters to recognise their worth.
White dismissed claims that pay-per-view is dead, noting that UFC will continue pay-per-view cards through the end of the ESPN deal. He also discussed new boxing ventures and the September Netflix-broadcasted Canelo Álvarez vs. Terence Crawford fight as examples of diverse content strategies.
UFC archival fights remain a popular draw, requiring new distribution once the ESPN contract ends. White concluded by asserting that UFC aims not just to be the biggest fighting organisation but to challenge the NFL, NBA, and global soccer for the top spot in sports popularity and revenue: “We’re coming. We’re coming for all of them.”
With inputs from AP
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