Former UFC champion and current commentator Daniel Cormier believes that the glory days of massive UFC pay-per-view buys may be behind us. It may be largely due to digital piracy cutting into the promotion’s numbers.
Speaking on the Pound 4 Pound show, Cormier expressed a pessimistic outlook when discussing potential upcoming stars who could generate significant pay-per-view numbers like Alex Pereira or Ilia Topuria.
“I think the days of 900,000, 800,000 [buys]—those days are gonna be hard to come by,” Cormier stated frankly during the discussion. “Kamaru [Usman] was a part of that with [Jorge] Masvidal the first time, I believe, with a big number like that.”
Cormier, who himself was a major draw during his competitive career, pointed to his own success on the business side of the sport. “I did a couple big numbers. Yeah, I did, at least I got a good three, four,” he reflected before getting to what he believes is the heart of the issue.
“It’s hard to replicate that today,” Cormier explained bluntly. “They’re cut—people are stealing it.”
This assessment comes at a time when the UFC’s relationship with broadcast partner ESPN appears increasingly strained. According to reports, ESPN has been struggling to meet expected pay-per-view targets. Additionally, UFC brass was reportedly “absolutely furious” following technical difficulties that affected recent events.
The current UFC-ESPN deal, signed in 2018 and valued at approximately $770 million per year, includes a guaranteed 300,000 pay-per-view buy minimum from ESPN for each event. Industry insiders suggest this figure isn’t being consistently met in reality.
With exclusive negotiation rights reportedly expiring soon, speculation is mounting that the UFC could follow its corporate sibling WWE to Netflix. The streaming giant recently secured a decade-long $5.2 billion deal with the wrestling promotion.
The UFC’s potential move to a streaming platform could dramatically reshape how fans consume its content, potentially addressing the piracy concerns highlighted by Cormier. Netflix’s model, which typically avoids the pay-per-view structure in favor of including premium content within subscription plans, might offer a different approach to monetizing UFC events.
For now, the promotion continues to target an ambitious new broadcast deal reportedly worth $1 billion annually. This figure would represent one of the largest in combat sports history, if they can overcome the piracy issues that appear to be eroding their traditional revenue model.
