Georges St-Pierre recently shared his thoughts on the UFC’s landmark $7.7 billion media rights deal with Paramount. That deal, which begins in 2026, will end the traditional pay-per-view mode and move all UFC events to streaming.
Fans will have access to all UFC events with a one-time monthly fee as part of their Paramount+ package. Select events will also air on CBS. While this sounds convenient for fans, St-Pierre believes it could be bad news for fighters.
During an interview with Covers, the former two-division champion sounded the alarm. He warned fighters that they could possibly now be at a disadvantage.
St-Pierre was one of the biggest benefactors of the pay-per-view model, especially during his lengthy reign as UFC welterweight champion. He earned a percentage of pay-per-view revenue as champion, making his fights extremely lucrative.
“I think it’s going to take some leverage away for the big names to have an argument to negotiate more money,” St-Pierre said. It could be good for the UFC, as a promoter, terrible for the fighters.”
He added
“It might be a bad thing for the fighters in a way that they have less leverage.”
Georges St-Pierre Draws Parallels to Past Negotiations With The UFC
St-Pierre also compared the shift to his own contract negotiations with the UFC. He revealed how he approached his deals during the peak of his career. The key, he said, was showing his value beyond just fighting.
“I could tell the UFC, ‘Hey, if you want me to do all the promotion, I want to become a partner,’ St-Pierre told Covers. “‘I want a piece of the pie to negotiate a part of the pay-per-view revenue. Because if I’m doing all the promotion, I’m helping you, but you need to help me. You need to make me a partner.’”
St-Pierre made a strong case during those negotiations. He consistently sold hundreds of thousands of pay-per-views and often carried events with his star power. His addition media obligations gave him the ability to argue for a bigger share of revenue.
With the move to a flat-rate streaming model, St-Pierre worries current fighters won’t have the same tools. Without a direct cut of the revenue from event sales, and transparency, they may struggle to negotiate higher pay.
How Many Pay-Per-View Buys Did St-Pierre’s Final UFC Fight Generate?
St-Pierre’s pay-per-view appeal remained strong even after a four-year layoff. He returned at UFC 217 in 2017 to face Michael Bisping for the middleweight championship. The event was a massive success.
In that fight, St-Pierre submitting Bisping in the 4th round to become the latest fighter to achieve double-champion status.
His final fight followed a streak of strong pay-per-view performances. UFC 217 generated 875,000 buys. The number was in line with some of his previous numbers when he headlined events as welterweight champion.
St-Pierre’s previous three headliners exceeded 600,000 buys. His bout against Nick Diaz at UFC 158 was the most successful, generating 950,000 buys.
The biggest buyrate of St-Pierre’s career came at UFC 100, where he fought Thiago Alves in the co-main event. The historic card sold 1.6 million pay-per-views.
St-Pierre was among the fighters who were key in spearheading the UFC during a boom period for the promotion.
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