The ultimate fighter and Dana White’s Contender Series will officially have a new broadcast home starting in 2026 after the UFC’s current deal with ESPN comes to an end at the end of December.
Both shows join the Paramount+ lineup alongside the rest of the UFC programming, which includes all UFC Fight Night cards as well as numbered main events beginning with UFC 324 on January 24. Unlike the UFC’s deal with ESPN, which still included pay-per-view, all programming is now available on Paramount+ at no additional cost to subscribers.
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The announcement was made during CCXP in Brazil on Saturday.
As one of the longest-running reality shows in history, The ultimate fighter continues to advance after helping bring the UFC to prominence when the program first launched in 2005. Numerous champions and title contenders first appeared on T.U.F. and it doesn’t look like that’s changing now that the UFC is moving to Paramount.
The same goes for DWCSwhich has become one of UFC CEO Dana White’s favorite pieces of programming, which the company produces.
Each season of the Contender series features episodes with five fights spread across numerous divisions in which athletes have the opportunity to compete against White and other UFC executives, such as matchmakers Sean Shelby and Mick Maynard. At the end of each installment, White announces which fighters earn a UFC contract with future champions like Sean O’Malley, Jamahal Hill and Jack Della Maddalena all starting in the Contender Series.
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While both series will move to Paramount, it was not known when T.U.F. either DWCS could debut in 2026. But now the shows are officially part of the UFC lineup headed to Paramount after the promotion signed a landmark seven-year deal worth $7.7 billion to move from ESPN to Paramount starting in 2026.