Paramount’s Decision to Keep Conor McGregor’s UFC Return Off CBS

Conor McGregor’s highly anticipated return to the UFC is generating a lot of buzz, and it’s all happening behind the Paramount+ paywall. Last year, UFC signed a massive seven-year, $7.7 billion deal with Paramount, moving all events to the streaming service and occasionally simulcasting on CBS.

While CBS simulcasted portions of UFC events earlier this year, paramount cards like UFC Freedom 250, held in June, remained exclusive to Paramount+. The upcoming UFC 329, featuring Conor McGregor, will also be exclusively on Paramount+, with CBS airing a special primetime weigh-in coverage.

Paramount’s decision to keep big events like UFC exclusively on their streaming service seems to be paying off. For example, UFC Freedom 250 drew in 7 million viewers, comparable to some of the NBA’s biggest games. This strategy gives Paramount+ a chance to attract new subscribers and leverage the event’s popularity.

Although putting games on network TV can boost exposure, Paramount’s focus on streaming exclusivity for popular events aims to drive new subscriptions. UFC 329 will be a litmus test for this strategy, which showed an impressive 184% increase in Paramount+ downloads leading up to UFC Freedom 250.

In conclusion, by keeping big-ticket events exclusive to Paramount+, the streaming service can cultivate a dedicated audience while continuing to grow its subscriber base. Paramount’s approach may lead to a successful operation, focusing on quality over quantity for its audiences.