TVNZ has stepped into the octagon, signing a three-year deal with the UFC that will give Kiwi fans access to a mix of both free and pay-to-view fights.
Under the agreement, UFC Numbered Event preliminaries and UFC Fight Nights will stream live and free on TVNZ+, with most broadcasts also airing on TVNZ Duke.
The first event — the UFC 324: Gaethje vs Pimblett preliminary card — will screen on January 25, followed by the UFC 325: Volkanovski vs Lopes 2 prelims on February 1.
Fans will be able later in the year to purchase TVNZ+ Event Passes for UFC Numbered Events.
TVNZ general manager commercial Josh Wolfe said the new partnership would showcase one of the world's most rapidly growing sports for a New Zealand audience.
"We're excited to help grow its reach in Aotearoa and deliver a fantastic experience for UFC fans."
UFC senior vice president Peter Kloczko said it was "fantastic news" and that the sporting body was "thrilled" to partner with TVNZ.
"We have a huge start to 2026 with our calendar of events, some massive fights for our Australian and New Zealand athletes – and we can't wait for more Kiwis to experience our sport."
Exclusive: When UFC will be free-to-air and paid on TVNZ - Watch on TVNZ+
TVNZ+ will stream live UFC action starting January 25, with fighters and officials saying the deal could supercharge MMA’s rise in NZ. (Source: 1News)
Wider audience
To gauge the impact locally, 1News visited Auckland's City Kickboxing — home to stars like Israel Adesanya, Kai Kara France and Dan Hooker. Fighters there said the deal would give the sport a major visibility boost.
Adesanya said the shift to free to air viewing would open the doors to a wider audience. Some fights are currently available on pay per view on Sky Sport.
"It's already a fast growing sport here and around the world. With it being free to air, it'll be more accessible to the general populace."
Hooker said it was "real exciting" for fans who previously faced high costs to watch events.
"UFC is not a cheap sport to be a fan of. People aren't restricted now. I was the first fighter from New Zealand to be in the UFC almost 11 years ago, and to see the growth — every pub, every bar, every restaurant has the fights on."
Protect viewers
Acknowledging UFC's highly physical nature, TVNZ said it would take precautions to protect viewers.
The broadcaster's head of sport Melodie Robinson said it would make sure audiences were well informed before tuning in.
"We are mindful of the wellbeing of our audiences. We're signposting every event on TVNZ+ and Duke, and we're rating them appropriately," she said.
It’s the second pay‑per‑view initiative TVNZ has announced, following its plan to offer a one‑off event pass for blanket access to all 104 matches of the upcoming FIFA World Cup in the US, Mexico and Canada.
Twenty-two fixtures — including any games involving the All Whites, the opening match between Mexico and South Africa, two other group stage games, two round of 16 clashes, one quarter-final, one semi-final, and the final — will be streamed live and free on TVNZ+.
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