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Dana White claims NFL executives surprised by UFC's $7.7 billion deal

Yahoo Sports • 1 min read • Latest: Jun 21, 2026, 3:30 PM

Last updated Jun 21, 2026

Dana White claims NFL executives surprised by UFC's $7.7 billion deal

Summary

UFC CEO Dana White states that NFL executives reacted with shock after the UFC announced its $7.7 billion media rights deal with Paramount. White suggested that NFL executives wondered how they missed such lucrative financial opportunities. The NFL is currently seeking new media rights agreements and is reportedly unhappy with the pace of negotiations. These discussions come as Paramount is willing to accept a 25 percent increase in its NFL rights fees, though the NFL is pushing for much larger increases. White speculated about the potential ripple effects of the UFC's deal on NFL negotiations.

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Market Watch

•Dana White claims NFL executives asked why they missed UFC's deal money.
•UFC signed a seven-year, $7.7 billion deal with Paramount last summer.
•NFL is negotiating for new media rights increases, seeking significantly higher fees.
•Paramount is currently paying $2.1 billion annually for NFL rights.
•Negotiations have proven challenging as networks resist NFL's demands.

Latest Updates

3:30 PMYahoo Sports — Dana White: NFL said ‘How the f— did we not get this money’ after UFC’s $7.7B deal

What they're saying

"
Conventional wisdom among sports media industry types when the UFC signed a surprising seven-year, $7.7 billion deal with Paramount last summer was that the popular MMA promotion well outkicked its coverage. Observers saw newly anointed Paramount owner David Ellison attempting to make a splash in live sports, and thus overpaid for the UFC. The jury…
— Yahoo Sports

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