When UFC first announced its $7.7 billion media rights deal with Paramount last summer, one key component was that some events would be simulcast on CBS.
One month into the deal, we now know the first show to air on network television and what it will look like.
On Tuesday, Paramount announced that a portion of its UFC 326 show on Saturday, March 7, will be broadcast on CBS. Per the release, CBS will air select bouts from the prelims and main card from 8 p.m.-10 p.m. ET, meaning that the main event lightweight bout between Max Holloway and Charles Oliveira will air exclusively on Paramount+, which will air the entirety of the card beginning at 7 p.m. ET.
Paramount+ and CBS will partner to air UFC 326: HOLLOWAY vs. OLIVEIRA 2, LIVE on Saturday, March 7, marking the first UFC event ever to appear on the broadcast network. pic.twitter.com/uKjpPQdpAR
— Paramount UFC (@paramountufc) February 10, 2026
CBS will simulcast the final hour of the prelims and the first hour of the main card, giving broadcast viewers access to a significant portion of the card, but not the main event. That could serve as a template for CBS’s role in the UFC-Paramount partnership, generating additional exposure for the MMA giant while still requiring viewers who want to watch the main event to subscribe to Paramount+.
At this point, it has not yet been announced how many UFC events on Paramount+ will also be simulcast in part on CBS. UFC president Dana White, however, has strongly suggested that one of those shows will be the highly anticipated June 14 show at the White House, which is expected to be the most high-profile event in the promotion’s history.
“That might be on CBS, you know what I mean?” White proclaimed during an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show after the Paramount deal was first announced last August. “How about that? Fight card, from the White House, live and free on CBS, the network. Come on.”
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.