August 12, 2025, 2:55 pm | Read time: 3 minutes
After the negotiation phase concluded in 2024, it’s now official: Paramount is merging with Skydance, and the new name is Paramount, a Skydance Corporation.
This marks the end of a two-year discussion phase, during which other parties also had a say but ultimately came up empty-handed. At one point, Sony positioned itself as a potential buyer, which would have significantly altered the global streaming market. However, in the end, Paramount’s acquisition by Skydance prevailed. The two companies have been negotiating since 2023 and have previously collaborated for several years, including on the “Mission: Impossible” films.
8 Billion Dollars for Paramount-Skydance Deal
The deal is valued at eight billion U.S. dollars. However, according to CEO David Ellison, they plan to save two billion through more efficient synergies after the merger of the two companies. Moreover, he believes they will not only achieve this goal but also significantly exceed it.
They plan to achieve this, among other things, by operating Paramount and Skydance on a single technical platform in the future. What exactly this means is not known. However, the focus of the venture is on cutting-edge technologies “to unlock the enormous potential of the corporation.”
Further details are lacking. However, it is not unreasonable to speculate that Paramount and Skydance will also heavily rely on the advancing development of AI.
Sports Sensation Right After Paramount Acquisition
While much remains vague and it is not yet clear how the deal will affect customers of both companies, there is a real coup to report. As “Variety” reports, Paramount Skydance and the TKO Group have signed a new seven-year deal. This grants Paramount+ exclusive rights to all upcoming Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) events. At the same time, ESPN and thus Disney lose the broadcasting rights.
The deal takes effect in 2026 and is valued at 7.7 billion U.S. dollars. Starting next year, Paramount will distribute the entire UFC program on Paramount+—13 major events and 30 so-called Fight Nights. Selected dates will also be available on CBS. For U.S. customers of the streaming service, the offer comes at no additional cost, marking a departure from the UFC’s previous pay-per-view model.
So far, only U.S. customers will enjoy American UFC fights on Paramount+. TECHBOOK inquired with the company and received confirmation—the fights will not be available outside the U.S. for now. However, they are already considering acquiring UFC rights outside the U.S. if they become available in the future. Meanwhile, ESPN loses the UFC but gains the major WWE wrestling events.