Paramount+ is expanding its footprint in the combat sports world, and its latest move puts the streaming platform front and center at one of the UFC’s most familiar venues.
T-Mobile Arena and Paramount+ have announced a multi-year partnership that will rename the venue’s two-acre outdoor entertainment space Paramount+ Plaza. As part of the agreement, Paramount+ also becomes an official partner and the exclusive streaming partner of T-Mobile Arena.
The newly branded Paramount+ Plaza will officially debut during Zuffa Boxing’s Garcia vs. Benn fight week, which culminates Saturday, Sept. 12, at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Fans will get their first look at the new setup one day earlier when the plaza hosts the Garcia vs. Benn ceremonial weigh-ins on Friday, Sept. 11. The event will be open to the public.
The partnership creates another significant connection between Paramount+ and combat sports. The streaming platform is the exclusive home of the UFC in the United States, while T-Mobile Arena has become the promotion’s primary home for major events in Las Vegas.
That connection will be on full display Saturday.
Before Garcia and Benn step into the ring, the plaza’s large outdoor screens will show Noche UFC live from Glendale, Ariz. Fans in Las Vegas will be able to watch the UFC card before doors open for the boxing event later that evening.
Garcia vs. Benn will also stream live on Paramount+ globally, excluding the U.K. and Ireland, at no additional cost to subscribers.
Throughout fight week, Paramount+ will operate the Cube, a customer lounge featuring an immersive activation based on the Paramount+ series “MobLand.”
“Paramount+ is home to some of the most compelling stories, franchises and live sports in entertainment, and this partnership gives us an exciting new way to bring that content beyond the screen and directly to fans,” said Domenic Di Meglio, chief marketing officer and data officer for Paramount+.
The agreement was brokered by AEG Global Partnerships and gives Paramount+ a year-round presence outside one of the busiest sports and entertainment venues on the Las Vegas Strip.
Since opening in April 2016, T-Mobile Arena has hosted UFC championship cards, Vegas Golden Knights games, major boxing events, concerts and other live entertainment. The venue welcomes more than 1 million visitors annually across more than 100 events.
The outdoor plaza has also served as a gathering point for some of the city’s largest sports celebrations, including the Golden Knights’ Stanley Cup championship parade and Las Vegas Aces championship rallies.
“Paramount+ sits at the intersection of premium entertainment, live sports and culture, making this partnership an incredibly natural fit for T-Mobile Arena and Las Vegas,” said Sally Bae, senior vice president of global partnerships for AEG in Las Vegas.
For Paramount+, the deal provides another way to promote its growing live sports portfolio beyond the streaming platform itself. For T-Mobile Arena, it gives the venue a permanent partner for a space that has increasingly become part of the experience surrounding major fight weeks in Las Vegas.
“Paramount+ Plaza represents an exciting next chapter for one of the most visible and important entertainment gathering spaces on the Las Vegas Strip,” said Dan Quinn, MGM Resorts’ senior vice president of entertainment, arena and venue operations.
The timing of the launch makes the combat sports connection difficult to miss. Paramount+ Plaza will begin its run with boxing weigh-ins on Friday, followed by a UFC broadcast and Garcia vs. Benn on Saturday — effectively turning the space outside T-Mobile Arena into a combat sports hub for the weekend.