The US UFC broadcast picture is the more-expensive cousin of the UK arrangement: ESPN+ holds the comprehensive rights, but every Numbered Event main card requires a separate PPV purchase on top of the ESPN+ subscription. This is the standard PPV business model that combat sports retains in the US market.
ESPN+ — every Fight Night and the prelim feed
ESPN+ holds the comprehensive US UFC rights through the 2025 cycle. The package includes:
- Every Fight Night card (the Saturday-evening ESPN cards, broadcast 7:00 PM ET prelims, 10:00 PM ET main card). Approximately 25-30 Fight Night cards per season.
- The prelim feed for every Numbered Event PPV — the prelims air on ESPN+ for free with an ESPN+ subscription.
- Selected UFC Fight Night cards on ABC — a small number of Saturday-evening fixtures simulcast on ABC free-to-air.
ESPN+ at $11.99/month is the standard subscription. The Disney Bundle (Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+) at $14.99/month is a small premium that adds the Disney and Hulu streaming catalogues — the better-value option for most US viewers.
UFC PPV — the Numbered Event main cards
The Numbered Event main cards (UFC 300, 301, 302 and so on) require a separate UFC PPV purchase. The PPV price is $79.99 per event as an ESPN+ add-on. Each Numbered Event runs approximately one per month, for 13 PPVs per calendar year on average.
A US viewer buying every PPV plus the ESPN+ subscription pays approximately $1,200 per year for the full UFC slate. The PPV main card runs 10:00 PM ET on a Saturday; the prelims (on ESPN+ at no extra cost) run 7:00 PM ET; the early prelims (on UFC Fight Pass) run 5:30 PM ET.
UFC Fight Pass — the archive and international slate
UFC Fight Pass is the league’s direct subscription service. It includes the full UFC archive (every fight since UFC 1 in 1993), the international slate that ESPN+ does not always broadcast (BRAVE CF, ONE Championship co-promotions, regional cards), the early-prelim feeds for every Numbered Event, and the UFC’s Contender Series and Dana White’s Contender Series content.
Fight Pass at $9.99/month is the archive supplement. For a US viewer, Fight Pass is a complement to ESPN+ rather than a replacement.
Subscription cost reality
A US UFC fan’s standard setup:
- Casual fan (Fight Nights only): ESPN+ at $11.99/month, no PPV purchases = $144/year.
- Headline fan (all PPVs): ESPN+ ($143.88/year) + 13 PPVs at $79.99 each ($1,039.87/year) = approximately $1,184/year.
- Comprehensive fan (PPVs + archive): Add UFC Fight Pass at $9.99/month ($119.88/year) = approximately $1,304/year.
For a single anticipated PPV (a championship rematch, a Conor McGregor return, a Jon Jones fight), the Disney Bundle + single PPV is the practical one-night setup at approximately $95.
Useful editorial sources
- NBA US guide — the other ESPN-centric major
- NFL US guide — the broadcast-rights template
- methstreams.video UFC guide — sister editorial coverage
- crackstreamsus.com UFC PPV guide — sister editorial coverage
The next UFC Numbered Event card is the last Saturday of May 2026 on ESPN+ PPV at $79.99. The next Fight Night card is the Saturday following on ESPN+ at no additional cost. The full 2026 UFC schedule runs January through December.