Apr 12, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; UFC announcer Joe Rogan during ceremonial weigh ins for UFC 300 at MGM Grand Garden Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

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Joe Rogan Gives His Unfiltered Reaction To UFC’s Jaw-Dropping $7.7 Billion Paramount Deal!

Apr 12, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; UFC announcer Joe Rogan during ceremonial weigh ins for UFC 300 at MGM Grand Garden Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Joe Rogan has been the voice of the UFC for over two decades now. The podcast king started calling fights back in 2002 when the promotion was still struggling to find its place in mainstream sports. Back then, UFC events were viewed as brutal spectacles that many networks wouldn’t touch with a ten foot pole. Rogan watched the company grow from a niche fighting organization into the global powerhouse it is today. He’s seen champions come and go, witnessed legendary battles, and helped explain the technical aspects of mixed martial arts to millions of casual fans who tuned in over the years.

Now the UFC has landed its biggest deal ever. The $7.7 billion agreement with Paramount will change how fans watch fights forever. Instead of shelling out $80 for each pay-per-view event, fans can get everything for just $12 a month through Paramount+. This move follows a trend fans have seen across sports (Turki Alalshikh had recently stated that he was removing the PPV model in boxing), where streaming services are grabbing exclusive rights to major events. The deal represents a seismic shift in how combat sports will be consumed.

Joe Rogan Reveals His Excitement For The Paramount Deal

The longtime commentator broke down the numbers. The math is pretty simple. Fans currently pay around $80 per event, and the UFC puts on about 12 pay-per-view shows each year. That adds up to nearly $1000 annually for hardcore fans who want to catch every major card. With the Paramount deal, that same content costs just $120 for the entire year.

“For $120 a year you can watch every UFC pay-per-view? Two UFC PPVs right now is like $160, right? You get all of them, everything’s free? It’s incredible. It’s going to be nuts and it’s such a smart move for Paramount because there’s a built in audience that’s immediately going to jump over there…Casual viewers that watch other sports might occasionally watch a UFC fight. Then they see Max Holloway or Dustin Poirier and they’re like ‘holy sh*t‘, then they’re hooked.”

Rogan believes this pricing revolution will cause the sport to explode in popularity like never before. He’s not wrong to be optimistic either. When content becomes more accessible, viewership typically skyrockets. Look at what happened when Netflix started offering entire TV series for one monthly fee instead of charging per episode. Rogan sees the same potential for MMA, where casual fans who couldn’t justify spending $80 on a single event might happily pay $12 monthly to explore the sport. The broadcaster also praised Paramount’s business strategy, noting they will inherit a built-in audience that was already paying for ESPN subscriptions.

(Image Credit: Mark J. Rebilas – Imagn Images)

Joe Rogan

Paramount+

Zaid Quraishi

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I am a dedicated MMA and Boxing content writer at The Playoffs. I was instantly hooked on MMA after watching the fight between Lyoto Machida vs. Gegard Mousasi back in 2014, and since then, i have been an avid writer with a deep love for the sport and its techniques, providing readers with a thorough understanding of the sport. My favorite aspect of working at The Playoffs is the creative freedom it provides. The diverse range of topics, from listicles and SEO to news articles, keeps me engaged and motivates me to continuously improve my skills! I aim to capture the excitement of the combat sports world in my writing, acting as the middleman between fighters and their die-hard fans. It is kind of like a referee, but with words!