UFC Owners Confirm HBO Expansion Talks

The UFC could land on HBO as soon as next year under the recently closed Paramount-Warner Bros. merger, according to TKO Group Holdings president Mark Shapiro.

Shapiro told investors Wednesday that the promotion is already in discussions with Skydance about moving programming beyond Paramount+ and onto the company's newly acquired networks, MMA Fighting reports. "We're in conversation as we speak with Skydance about the best way to maximize audience across the Skydance platform," he said on a TKO financial call.

What The $110 Billion Merger Means For UFC Distribution

Paramount-Skydance finalized its $110 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. and all company assets earlier this year, including HBO, TBS, and TNT. The deal opens new distribution avenues for the UFC beyond the Paramount+ streaming service, where all events now air exclusively under the seven-year, $7.7 billion broadcast agreement that kicked off in January 2026 and eliminated traditional pay-per-view.

Shapiro said talks with Skydance are focused on leveraging the merged platform to grow viewership. "We will be maximizing HBO, TNT, Paramount+, CBS, all in the name of expanding eyeballs, expanding viewership, growing audience, and increasing engagement," he said. He noted his previous working relationship with Skydance Sports head David Berson from their time at ESPN and called the partnership "fully aligned strategically."

While the merger is complete, integration of the various properties is ongoing. Paramount+ is expected to eventually merge with HBO Max, which would immediately expand the UFC's subscriber base. No timeline has been announced for when UFC programming might appear on HBO or other Warner Bros. networks.

Reported via:

• MMA Fighting — UFC owners discuss expansion onto HBO, other platforms under Paramount-Warner Bros. partnership