Short answer: in the US, every UFC event now streams on Paramount+, with no pay-per-view fee, and some numbered cards also air on CBS. Outside the US it's a different story: the Paramount deal is mostly American, so the UK still uses TNT Sports, Australia still sells numbered main cards on pay-per-view, and Canada has its own arrangement. Where you live decides what you pay.
At a glance
Watching the UFC in 2026
| United States | Paramount+ (all events), some on CBS |
| UK and Ireland | TNT Sports, streaming on HBO Max |
| Australia | Paramount+ for Fight Nights; PPV for numbered main cards |
| US pay-per-view | Gone since January 2026 |
| Fight Pass | Still exists: archive, early prelims, other MMA |
What changed in 2026
For years, watching the UFC in America meant an ESPN+ subscription plus roughly $80 for each numbered pay-per-view. That model ended on 1 January 2026, when a seven-year deal with Paramount, reported at around $7.7 billion, came into force.
Under it, Paramount+ carries all 13 numbered events and around 30 Fight Nights a year in the US, and the numbered cards cost nothing beyond the subscription. It's the biggest change to how UFC is watched since pay-per-view began.
The catch that trips people up: it's a US deal first. International rights were sold separately, so a Paramount+ subscription in the UK, for instance, doesn't get you UFC. We cover the US service in depth in our separate guide to UFC on Paramount+.
Country by country
| Country | Fight Nights | Numbered main cards |
|---|---|---|
| United States | Paramount+ | Paramount+ (some also on CBS), no PPV |
| UK and Ireland | TNT Sports / HBO Max | TNT Sports; occasional Box Office events |
| Australia | Paramount+ | PPV on Main Event (Foxtel and Kayo) |
| Canada | Sportsnet / Sportsnet+ | Check per event; Paramount+ reported for 2027 |
| Latin America | Paramount+ | Paramount+ |
| India | Sony (SonyLIV) | Sony (SonyLIV) |
Rights in smaller markets change more often than in the big ones, so always check the "how to watch" page on UFC.com for your country before an event.
United States: Paramount+ and CBS
Every event, one subscription. Paramount+ Essential ($8.99 a month) and Premium ($13.99) both include the full UFC schedule, prelims and main cards. Premium removes ads from on-demand content and adds Showtime.
CBS simulcasts. Selected numbered events air live on CBS too, which means they're free with an antenna. The first was UFC 324 in January 2026, and the White House card in June also aired on CBS.
What's no longer needed. ESPN+ no longer carries live UFC, and there's no US pay-per-view to buy. If you're still paying for either for the UFC alone, you can cancel.
UK and Ireland: TNT Sports
TNT Sports remains the UFC's UK and Irish home, and TNT Sports now streams through HBO Max, which launched in the UK in 2026. You can also get TNT Sports through Sky, BT/EE or Virgin Media TV packages.
HBO Max plans that include TNT Sports start at around £26 a month on a 12-month saver deal, or about £37 a month on a rolling monthly plan (September 2026). Occasional marquee events have been sold separately on TNT Sports Box Office, so check before a big card.
Numbered events usually start in the early hours for UK viewers, with main cards around 3am or later for events in Las Vegas. Replays are available on demand.
Australia, Canada and elsewhere
Australia. Since January 2026, Fight Nights stream on Paramount+ (from A$6.99 a month), as do the prelims for numbered events, which also air on Network 10. The main cards of numbered events stay on pay-per-view through Main Event on Foxtel and Kayo.
Canada. Sportsnet and Sportsnet+ show Fight Nights and preliminary cards. Numbered main cards have been sold separately; reports suggest they move to Paramount+ from 2027, but check what applies before each event.
Elsewhere. Paramount+ carries events across much of Latin America, and Sony holds the rights in India. Other countries have their own partners, listed on UFC.com. For advice on streaming where you live, see our country guides such as IPTV in the UK.
Where UFC Fight Pass fits now
UFC Fight Pass hasn't gone away. It's the UFC's own streaming service, and it covers the huge fight archive, early prelims in some markets, and events from other MMA and grappling promotions.
What it doesn't do is replace your country's main broadcaster. In the US it doesn't carry the main cards, which are on Paramount+. Think of it as an extra for heavy fans, not the main route.
Upcoming events
Scheduled cards for the rest of 2026, as listed at the end of September. Dates and bouts change often.
| Date | Event | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| 3-4 October | UFC 332 | Salt Lake City |
| 17 October | Fight Night | Edmonton |
| 24 October | UFC 333: Volkanovski vs Evloev | Abu Dhabi |
| 14 November | UFC 334 | Madison Square Garden, New York |
| 12 December | UFC 335 | Las Vegas |
Fight-night tips
- Know the start times. Numbered cards run for hours, with early prelims, prelims and the main card. Check the local start time for the part you want.
- Sign in early. Log in to the app 15 minutes before the main card, when traffic peaks.
- Use a wired connection or 5 GHz Wi-Fi for the streaming box; buffering on fight night is usually the home network.
- Avoid unlicensed streams. "Free UFC" sites and unlicensed IPTV services aren't authorised, are full of malicious ads, and are regularly taken down mid-event. In the US, with no pay-per-view any more, the legal route has become far cheaper than it used to be.
Devices and setup for fight night
Whichever broadcaster covers your country, the apps involved run on the mainstream platforms: Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Google TV, recent Samsung and LG televisions, games consoles, phones and browsers. HBO Max, Paramount+ and Kayo are all widely supported.
Sign in before the prelims. Traffic spikes shortly before the main card. Opening the app and starting the prelims early means you're already connected when demand peaks.
Mind the stream limits. Each service limits simultaneous streams per account, and some limit sport streams separately. HBO Max's UK Premium plan, for instance, allows four devices but only two for sport.
Use a steady connection. A wired Ethernet cable or strong 5 GHz Wi-Fi to your streaming device matters more than the plan tier. Restart the device before a long card to clear its memory.
Replays and spoilers. If you're in the UK and don't want to stay up until 3am, replays are available the next morning. Turn off sports notifications and keep away from social media until you've watched.
Watching in bars. Commercial venues need their own licence to show UFC events. A venue using a personal subscription isn't licensed to do so, so if you'd like to watch out, look for bars that advertise official fight nights.
For more on choosing hardware for live sport, see our guide to the best options for streaming sport.
What a year of UFC costs
Using list prices from late September 2026, watching every event for a year costs roughly:
- US: $89.99 a year on Paramount+ Essential, or $139.99 on Premium. That's less than two old pay-per-views.
- UK and Ireland: around £26 a month on a 12-month HBO Max and TNT Sports saver plan, which also includes Premier League, Champions League and other sport. Occasional Box Office events cost extra.
- Australia: Paramount+ from A$6.99 a month for Fight Nights and prelims, plus a pay-per-view fee for each numbered main card you buy.
In the UK, the cost is really for TNT Sports as a whole. If UFC is the only thing you watch there, consider subscribing only for months with the cards you care about.
Quick answers
Where can I watch UFC in the US? On Paramount+, which carries every event in the US. Some numbered cards are also shown on CBS.
Is UFC still pay-per-view? Not in the US since January 2026. In Australia, numbered main cards remain pay-per-view, and the UK has occasional Box Office events.
Can I watch UFC on Paramount+ in the UK? No. In the UK and Ireland, the UFC is on TNT Sports, which streams on HBO Max.
Is UFC still on ESPN+? No. ESPN's deal ended in 2025, and live events moved to Paramount+ in the US.
Do I still need UFC Fight Pass? Only for the archive, early prelims in some markets and other promotions. It doesn't include the main cards in the US.
Can I watch UFC free? In the US, numbered events simulcast on CBS are free over the air. In Australia, some prelims are on Network 10.
When do UFC main cards start in the UK? For US-based events, typically around 3am UK time or later. Events in the Middle East or Europe start earlier.
International UFC rights are sold country by country and change regularly, and event dates and start times move. Prices were checked in late September 2026. Confirm your country's broadcaster on UFC.com before each event. Checked September 2026.