Paramount announces its deal with Zuffa Boxing; Mike Cavanagh will be the co-CEO of Comcast; and Prime Video and NBC Sports add NBA talent. Plus news on the NFL on CBS, DraftKings, Snoop Dogg and the Ford C. Frick Award.
Paramount+ to become exclusive home of Zuffa Boxing
Paramount has reached an agreement with TKO Group Holdings to make its Paramount+ streaming platform the exclusive home of Zuffa Boxing in the United States, Canada and Latin America. This “long-term” deal for Zuffa — reportedly a five-year pact per Eric Fisher of Front Office Sports — will begin with a 12-card schedule that it hopes to expand in the future. The deal allows for select events to be on simulcast on the CBS broadcast television.
The agreement comes less than a month after Zuffa made its debut with a bout between Canelo Álvarez and Terence Crawford on Netflix, which the streamer said averaged more than 20 million viewers in the United States. In remarks made to CBS Sports on Monday, UFC president and CEO Dana White said that Zuffa is going to “serve as a proving ground” that will “create the stars of tomorrow” who will one day be appearing on “The Ring” and Riyadh Season events.
Turki Alalshikh, chairman of the General Entertainment Authority within the Saudi Arabian government, said in a statement that the partnership “is the future for live boxing coverage.” In addition to running Zuffa, Alalshikh bought “The Ring” magazine in 2024.
Paramount signed a seven-year deal with TKO reportedly worth $7.7 billion for U.S. rights to Ultimate Fighting Championship starting next year. The agreement includes the 13 marquee events and 30 fight nights, all of which will be available to stream on Paramount+, ending the previous pay-per-view system. Select events will be simulcast on CBS under the terms of the agreement.
Cavanagh to serve as Co-CEO of Comcast
Comcast Corporation has announced that Mike Cavanagh will serve as the co-CEO of the company beginning in January. Cavanagh, who has been the president of the media conglomerate since 2022 and overseeing television, film and theme park interests since the exit of former NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell, will also join the Comcast board of directors as part of the transaction. In his new role, he will work with longtime Comcast leader Brian Roberts, who will continue as chairman and co-CEO of the company.
In a statement, Roberts called Cavanagh “the ideal person to help lead Comcast as we manage the pivot we are making to drive growth across the company,” adding that the two of them “work seamlessly together.”
Cavanagh’s promotion comes as the company continues to invest in sports programming through the NBCUniversal subsidiary with its deals with the National Football League, National Basketball Association and International Olympic Committee. NBCUniversal also owns rights to Big Ten Conference football and basketball, Notre Dame football, the Premier League, NASCAR Cup Series and the Kentucky Derby.
Prior to joining Comcast as CFO in 2015, Cavanagh worked as the co-CEO of the corporate and investment bank at JPMorgan Chase. He had previously been considered the heir apparent to Roberts, according to industry insiders cited in a CNBC report earlier in the summer.
Prime Video, NBC Sports add new NBA talent
Amazon’s Prime Video is adding reporters Chris Haynes and Marcus Thompson to its roster ahead of the NBA season, according to a report by Ryan Glasspiegel of Front Office Sports. Haynes is set to work as an ‘insider’ for the streamer, while Thompson will report feature stories.
Haynes has previously worked in reporting roles for ESPN, Yahoo Sports and Warner Bros. Discovery (TNT Sports and Bleacher Report). Thompson, who works for The Athletic and will continue to hold that role, previously served as a beat reporter and columnist covering the Golden State Warriors for the San Jose Mercury News.
As for the other incoming NBA broadcast partner, NBC Sports announced Monday that NBA writer Chris Mannix will be joining its coverage of the league as a digital insider, creating video content to be distributed on digital and social media platforms owned by NBCUniversal. In addition, he will make occasional appearances on NBC and Peacock NBA studio coverage for breaking news reporting.
“Chris Mannix has been one of the most respected and well-connected NBA writers for two decades now and is someone that audiences can trust with the league’s biggest stories and developments,” Adam Littlefield, senior NBA studio producer for NBC Sports, said in a statement.
Plus: NFL on CBS, DraftKings, Snoop Dogg, Frick Award
- The National Football League is flexing the San Francisco 49ers’ Week 6 matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to the 4:25 PM ET slot on CBS as part of the second half of its doubleheader. As a result, the interconference game between the New England Patriots and New Orleans Saints will kick off at 1 PM ET on CBS.
- DraftKings has reached a multiyear advertising agreement with NBCUniversal that will include “exclusive integrations and digital sponsorships” across NBC Sports programming, it was announced Monday.
- Recording artist Snoop Dogg is returning to NBCUniversal’s Olympics coverage for Milan Cortina 2026 where he will contribute to prime time coverage, NBC announced Sunday. The role is similar to that which he occupied during last year’s Paris Olympics. Snoop Dogg will explore the northern Italian region, watch competitions and discuss the stories on set.
- The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum has announced the 10 finalists for the 2026 Ford C. Frick Award, which is bestowed on one announcer annually excellence in baseball broadcasting. Professionals who are up for the award include Brian Anderson, Joe Buck, Skip Caray, René Cárdenas, Gary Cohen, Jacques Doucet, Duane Kuiper, John Rooney, Dan Shulman and John Sterling.
