The Absurd Amount Paramount Is Reportedly Paying Zuffa Boxing in 2026

Paramount is investing a jaw-dropping amount in Zuffa Boxing out of the gates.

The major network signed an exclusive broadcast deal with Dana White and Zuffa Boxing months before the promotion's first event. The five-year contract is reportedly worth a whopping $100 million per year, according to a recent report from The Guardian.

White confirmed that the contract includes 12 to 13 events per year, averaging roughly one each month. However, Zuffa Boxing, which hosted its first event on Jan. 23, announced its launch with its first three events in as many weeks.

If the $100 million number is accurate, that averages to roughly $7.7 million per event.

#ZuffaBoxing02 is SET 💥

SUN can't come soon enough!

📺 : @ParamountPlus | #RiyadhSeason | @RiyadhSeason pic.twitter.com/J4UTB6Kedd
— Zuffa_Boxing (@Zuffa_Boxing) January 27, 2026

While high-level promotions typically yield lucrative broadcast deals — Matchroom Boxing signed a $1 billion deal with DAZN in 2018 — it is uncommon for an upstart company to warrant this much money before even hosting its first event.

But Paramount is investing in White, who built the UFC from the ground up and turned MMA into the sport it is today. White's believers expect him to do the same with Zuffa Boxing as he did with the UFC.

The broadcast deal came as no surprise after Paramount agreed to a separate exclusive broadcast deal with White and the UFC. That deal is worth $7.7 billion over the next seven years.

Zuffa Boxing prepares for second event after official launch

Paramount has already reaped the benefits of its UFC deal, with UFC 324 — the first event broadcast on the platform — drawing in a reported 4.96 million viewers. The viewership numbers for Zuffa Boxing 01, which aired the night before, have yet to be released.

White turned to his No. 1 prospect, 'King' Callum Walsh, to headline Zuffa Boxing 01. Walsh, who has been in business with White for years before Zuffa Boxing launched, defeated Carlos Ocampo in the main event to improve to 16-0.

MORE: Watch Teofimo Lopez face Shakur Stevenson Live On DAZN

While Walsh has built a following through his connections to the UFC, he is not a top-tier boxing star. White vowed to "take over" the sport in 2026, but Zuffa Boxing has yet to announce a major event involving a true pay-per-view draw.

However, its first landmark event could be coming soon. The promotion signed its first champion by coming to terms with IBF and The Ring cruiserweight champion Jai Opetaia on Jan. 16. Opetaia has not yet announced his next fight, but he will become the first fighter to compete in a world title fight under the Zuffa Boxing banner.

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