Dana White says he wants $10 billion for the UFC's next media deal after Paramount contract

UFC CEO Dana White has said he wants a $10 billion deal when the promotion's current media rights contract with Paramount ends. White made the comments on The Diary of a CEO podcast, MMA Mania reported on Friday, October 16.

The UFC's current deal with Paramount is worth $7.7 billion over seven years and runs until 2032. Many in the industry saw it as above market value.

What White said

White claimed the size of the Paramount deal got the attention of the NFL. He also admitted he was not certain about it.

"We did an 8 billion deal with Paramount. Right now, I don't know this for a fact, but I know this for a fact. The NFL are a bunch of animals, right? As soon as that deal was announced, all the powers that be at the NFL got in a room and said there was $8 billion out there that we didn't get," White said, according to MMA Mania.

He said Paramount paid that much because it believes the UFC can help its business, and he sees it as his job to deliver on that.

"Do you know why Paramount did a 7.7 (billion deal with the UFC)? Because they believe that we can impact their business," White said. "Now, my job over the next five years is to make sure we do that because guess what I want? I want 10 billion after we get out of this deal."

According to MMA Mania, White also repeated his claim that the UFC is now among the top four sports leagues.

Context

The Paramount agreement ended the UFC's pay-per-view model in the United States. Events now stream on Paramount+ as part of the subscription. MMA Mania noted that some business analysts have suggested Paramount deliberately overpaid for the UFC. Those analysts link the deal to Paramount's separate merger plans. This is their view, and neither Paramount nor TKO, the UFC's parent company, has confirmed it.

Sports rights prices have kept rising. The NBA signed a media deal worth about $77 billion, and the NFL is reportedly looking at opting out of its current contracts early to try to get more money.

The outlet also pointed out a possible drawback. With no pay-per-view, critics say the UFC may focus on hitting a set number of events rather than building and selling major cards.

What's next for the UFC

White's comments come as the UFC prepares for UFC 333 in Abu Dhabi on October 24. White has said that event will go ahead as planned despite regional security concerns. He has also promised a strong slate of events for early 2027.