Paramount+ UFC Gamble Pays Off With 1 Million New Subscribers

New Paramount CEO David Ellison made a big splash when he secured the next 7 years of UFC rights for $7.7 billion. Now that the fights are part of the standard Paramount+ subscription, MMA fans are flocking to the service.

According to Business Insider, Paramount product chief Dane Glasgow told employees in a town hall meeting that the day of the first UFC fight brought about 1 million new subscribers.

A Paramount spokesperson said: “Those numbers are unverified, and it’s against our policy to share speculative data externally.”

Paramount did announce that the Jan. 24 UFC broadcast had just under 5 million average viewers for the main card.

At last the end of September, Paramount+ had 79 million subscribers overall.

Premium UFC fights were previously pay-per-view events through ESPN+, but they’re included in the cost of a regular Paramount+ account. That makes it a very attractive deal for MMA fans.

But to make sure subscribers are helping foot the bill for all those fights, Paramount+ killed off its free trial and raised prices earlier this month.

The next event is UFC 325: Volkanovski vs. Lopes II on Saturday, Jan. 31.

While Paramount may be excited about the performance of its first UFC event, it’s worth noting that if Paramount+ now has about 80 million subscribers, if 5 million watched the fight, that means 94% of the Paramount+ subscribers may be subsidizing the UFC bill for the other 6%.

Of course, it’s possible Paramount+ grows over time and can convert its casual viewers into MMA fans. Ellison has said the company will show some UFC events on CBS, which could help grow the sport beyond its current fanbase.

Super Savings Hack for Paramount+

If you want to save money on a Paramount+ subscription, I recommend a roundabout method: AARP & Walmart+.

First, join AARP for $15. (No, you don’t need to be old or retired.)

AARP gives you $40 off a year of Walmart+. That lowers the cost of Walmart+ to $58/year. Walmart+ allows you to choose free Paramount+ or Peacock. That makes the combined monthly cost for AARP, Walmart+, and Paramount+ just $6.08. That’s less than the monthly cost of Paramount+ alone.

If you want ad-free Paramount+, you can upgrade for $5.49/month or $54.49/year.

While the AARP and Walmart+ hack is worth it just for Paramount+ alone, you also get plenty of other perks.

Walmart+ Benefits

• Free grocery delivery
• Free shipping from Walmart.com
• Save 10₵ per gallon at Walmart, Exxon, Mobil & Murphy stations + get member prices on fuel at Sam’s Club
• Free pharmacy delivery
• Get 25% off digital Burger King orders every day & a free Whopper with any purchases every 3 months
• Get free 24/7 access to veterinary experts from your phone with Pawp
• Skip the checkout line – Scan & Go at Walmart stores
• Early access to Walmart Black Friday deals
• Up to 5 free months of Apple Music
• Get 3 free months of PlayKids+ app
• 30 days free of Crunchyroll Premium

AARP Benefits

• 20% off Papa John’s
• 10% off Auntie Anne’s Pretzels
• 10% off Cinnabon
• 10% off Moe’s Southwest Grill
• 5% off Consumer Cellular phone plans and 30% off accessories
• Hotel discounts
• Florist discounts
• AARP Streams App (movies)
• Up to 25% off e-tickets at select theater chains nationwide

AARP also gives you cheap UPS shipping, discounts to Lenscrafters, Visionworks, and Target Optical, up to 35% off car rentals, and deals on airfare, and vacation packages. There are also discounts to Universal and Disney theme parks.

Here’s a list of all AARP benefits. Not bad for $15/year. You can save more if you sign up for a longer term.