As Paramount Enters the Octagon, UFC's Craig Borsari Previews Production Plans, Teases InnovationsUFCs Paramount era begins Saturday with UFC 324 at T-Mobile Arena in VegasBy Jason Dachman, Editorial Director, U.S. Thursday, January 22, 2026 - 2:20 pm
Print This Story | Subscribe
Story Highlights
The UFC's landmark Paramount debut on Saturday with UFC 324: GAETHJE vs PIMBLETT marks a pivotal moment for the world's top MMA outfit and promises a new chapter in production innovation. UFC is betting big on collaboration with Paramount/CBS Sports to reach not only its devoted fanbase but also millions of potential new viewers now that all UFC marquee numbered events will be available with no pay-per-view charge on Paramount in the U.S. and Latin America.
Craig Borsari, chief content officer/executive producer, UFC, is tasked with reimagining how fans experience the octagon action in this new Paramount era. SVG sat down with Borsari to discuss the massive undertaking required to launch UFC on Paramount , his production team's expanded responsibilities (including producing pre/post shows for all numbered events), and collaborating with CBS Sports to innovate and bring new production tools to UFC coverage.
What's the feeling over at UFC headquarters heading into opening weekend of the UFC on Paramount ?
We are wildly excited at the opportunity to work with the best in the industry on the Paramount and CBS Sports teams. We had an amazing run with ESPN and with FOX Sports before that, but it's definitely invigorating to collaborate with a different production team. They are certainly experts in their field, and that creates a lot of opportunity for us to expand and innovate by introducing [production elements] that we haven't used in the past. So our team is extremely excited about this new partnership, and I know the Paramount/CBS team is as well
Does the role of the UFC production team change for this new UFC on Paramount package?
Just as was the case with ESPN, the UFC production team will be handling all the live event programming and production. We will also handle all the pre and post shows for every event, as well as weigh-in shows and a lot of ancillary programming. We expect to have the CBS Sports team jump in for specials and a variety of studio-based programming similar to what ESPN did.
The only nuanced difference is that ESPN did handle the pre and post shows for our PPV shows, which we're now calling our numbered events. In this arrangement with Paramount , UFC will be handling pre and post for all the numbered events. Other than that, it will be fairly similar to the way we operated in the ESPN era.
Did you create a brand-new graphics package for the launch of UFC on Paramount ?
We want to create a new look and feel that reflects both the evolution of the sport and our new partnership with Paramount . Right now, we are in the beginning stages of building that out with [our design partner] drive | studio. That will launch later this year with the official date TBD.
In the interim, we took the package that we have used for the past several years and augmented it with some new elements and made changes to reflect the new branding. The overall look and feel will be slightly different on Jan. 24, but our insert package will remain largely the same. The overall match look and interstitials and bumps will be Paramount -branded, and we are adding some other new things, but it's really just the first step in what ultimately will be a full graphics relaunch later this year.
Will you be deploying any production technologies for Paramount fights that we haven't seen before on UFC coverage?
I've been talking with [CBS Sports SVP, Remote Technical Operations] Jason Cohen and his team a lot, and they are very excited to jump into this and try some new ideas. We're going to work with him on opportunities to innovate and add production elements to our show that don't exist today. That R&D is already underway, but we don't know where it's going to go just yet because it's early stages.
One thing I can say on the statistics side is, you're going to see us continue to lean into biometrics and other enhancements that take viewers inside the fight.
We've introduced wearable cameras for referees recently. In the past, we never felt they were up to snuff. However, now they have a level of stability where our directors have started to cut [the feed] into the show, not just in replay sequences but also live. That's a new element that we're going to continue to evolve and look to integrate where appropriate.
From an audio perspective, we're going to roll out a full suite of music for the broadcast that will give a new sound to the show that's going to feel fresh.
Overall in terms of innovation, as I said, we're at the beginning stages, and we're not sure where exactly these new [tools] will play a role. But I'm a big proponent of pushing the envelope and looking for opportunities to add value to the broadcast with technology, so you're definitely going to see some things later this year.
Any big changes planned in terms of facilities or operations?
NEP is still our truck vendor, and we're excited to continue that partnership. [NEP NCPVII, NCP7B, and ST3 mobile units are onsite this weekend in Vegas]. We expect to have a mobile-unit upgrade, and we're having those conversations now. We probably are going to go to A, B, and C units for our events, which will be new. We've been a two-truck show for a long time, but, with all these bigger remote sports shows, you get to a point where you just need more firepower. That's where we are right now. And, as I mentioned, we'll be doing our own pre and post shows for numbered events moving forward. We had always done the
