Dana White has been the most important voice in MMA since taking over the UFC.
Professional Sports
Empire of Blood
“What you guys [boxing fans] don’t understand is your sport is getting swallowed,” Rogan yelled at boxing promoter Lou DiBella on an early TV spot with ESPN. “It’s getting swallowed by a greater, more efficient, more spectacular sport. The famous people that you have right now are the only famous people who are going to […]
“What you guys [boxing fans] don’t understand is your sport is getting swallowed,” Rogan yelled at boxing promoter Lou DiBella on an early TV spot with ESPN. “It’s getting swallowed by a greater, more efficient, more spectacular sport. The famous people that you have right now are the only famous people who are going to exist in the future for boxing — the guys that were already famous before UFC came along. There will be no new ones. They will all go to MMA.”
“I’M VERY CLOSE TO ROGAN AND TRUMP,” WHITE SAYS. “WE’RE ALL CONNECTED BY UFC.”
Making of an Empire
O’Malley is a striker: Tall and graceful, he dances on his feet with darting punches and whipping kicks. But tonight, he looks slow. Dvalishvili is not a subtle fighter. He’s small and fast and very, very strong. Before O’Malley can establish a rhythm, Dvalishvili is on him. Overhand right, takedown, back control, side control, smashing O’Malley’s face into the mat and his body into the cage and sapping his energy and will. In each of the five rounds, when O’Malley starts to show even a spark of his usual creativity and threat, Dvalishvili stuffs him. The Suga-jerseyed fans in the crowd are silent or booing. The Georgians are ascendant. They get louder and louder until Dvalishvili is crowned the new champion by the judges’ unanimous decision.
On the train home, I strike up a conversation with two guys named Kay and Gage who are sober but still buzzing from the energy of the fight. They’re in the Navy, visiting from San Diego, and have been following this sport for years. “It’s the underdog fights that really get you going,” Kay says, rattling off a list of past UFC upsets. Neither of these guys are wearing red hats. They’re not yelling about the Nelk Boys or Elon Musk. They came here and paid ,100 a ticket to see two guys beat the shit out of each other in a cage, because the underdog stories get them going. When the president-elect showed up, Gage says, “it was like confirmation that this is what the American people want.”
Most fans don’t agree with the matchup at the Garden. Currently, the UFC’s heavyweight division has an interim champion, a polite but not gentle English giant named Tom Aspinall, who has been keeping the belt warm while Jones recovered from injuries. Ordinarily, an interim champ would get a shot at unifying the belts when the champion recovers — but instead, Jones has thus far ducked Aspinall in favor of fighting Stipe Miocic, a legendary-but-aging heavyweight who hasn’t stepped into the cage in nearly four years. Even though Jones is 30 pounds heavier than in his prime, he’s still terrifying: a generationally talented athlete who fights with a shocking brutality. He’ll unleash that on the 42-year-old Miocic, who works outside the ring as a firefighter. This is not the fight fans want, but it’s the one Jones wants — and because he’s White’s guy, he gets his way.
It makes sense, of course, that White and Trump would be friends. White runs the UFC the same way Trump runs America: top-down, tight control, with a warm hand toward those who are loyal and a vicious streak toward naysayers and challengers to his authority. White is notorious for torching fighters, journalists, and judges during press conferences, and the UFC’s history is full of high-profile rifts between the CEO and some of his stars.
At the parking lot “fan experience,” I meet a group of Latino twentysomethings from the Pacific Northwest in line to hit a punch-power machine. They’re UFC die-hards, but the parking lot is as close as they’ll get to the main event. “We bought flights [to Vegas] as soon as Noche was announced,” one tells me. Only later did they realize that tickets to the event — which started at more than ,000 — would be way out of their budget. They plan to watch the fight from one of the many bars on the Strip.
It’s hard for me to square this blunt, ruthless system with a sport that asks everything of its athletes. While the UFC has never had a death or serious injury in the ring, the damage a fighter takes over their career accumulates. A 2020 survey in The Athletic found that more than 55 percent of fighters expect their lives after retirement to be affected by injuries, and the specter of the progressive brain disorder CTE is seen almost as a given by everyone who makes a living with their fists.
At the time, MMA was seen as a bloody sideshow — “human cockfighting,” per then-Sen. John McCain — and was being heavily regulated out of existence in many states. But Trump saw something in the sport — or in White — and allowed the CEO to host his first two UFC events at the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City. White had an aggressive business plan, restarting home-video releases of the shows and doubling down on live events.
‘Nobody Gave Him Arenas’
“I’m like the middleman in this relationship,” White tells me. “I’m very close to Rogan and loyal to Rogan, and Rogan is very close and loyal to me; and then I’m very close to Trump and very loyal to Trump, and Trump is loyal to me. And we’re all connected by this UFC thing.”
A fighter like Blanchfield has something of a cushion: a slot in the top five, regular endorsements, high billing on fight cards, and enough star power that she can claim better prize money, or purses. But to get to that point, a fighter has to grind their way up in smaller promotions, hoping to get noticed by White or another of the UFC scouts.
The story of how a president of the United States wound up cage-side in Madison Square Garden that night is also the story of MMA, a sport that over the past 30 years has gone from being a late-night cable TV sideshow to a new American pastime. MMA is street fighting distilled into sport, practiced by professional athletes who have tuned every cell of their body for violence. As it happens, that’s something a whole lot of people want to watch. Depending on whom you ask, MMA is the third-largest sport in the world, behind only basketball and soccer, with anywhere from 300 million to 600 million fans worldwide. Some 60 percent of those fans, according to the statistics website Cagewalks.com, are people (mostly men) between the ages of 25 and 44, a demographic that is highly prized by advertisers and that also, perhaps not coincidentally, has gotten mashed in the face by the ass end of the American political system for the better part of 20 years.
In MMA, almost all of the human body’s weapons are allowed, and a scarce few — headbutts, biting, eye-gouging, and the aforementioned blows directly to the back of the skull — are banned. You can punch, knee, kick, and elbow. (Bend your arm and feel for the little knob of bone beneath the skin at the tip of your elbow. At the right angle and speed, it will cut like a scalpel.) On the ground, there’s a war of grappling, chokes, and limb breaks, and Oliveira is one of the best to ever fight it. Late in the fifth round, Oliveira latches onto Chandler’s back, squeezing him with all four limbs. Instead of going limp, Chandler stands up, taking Oliveira with him like a 155-pound backpack, and waddles to the center of the ring. “Fuck it!” he says, launching himself backward into the air and crashing down, crushing Oliveira to the mat, which booms like a giant drum. Chandler’s mouth guard is painted with an American flag. He does this slam, impossibly, twice. Oliveira does not let go. The fight ends. Oliveira wins, a unanimous decision, but Chandler is triumphant in defeat. “Madison Square Garden, are you not entertained?” he shouts. From across the cage, I see Trump smile.
Thomas says there are other fault lines aside from politics: rising ticket prices like the ones that forced out fans in Vegas, a glut of pay-per-view events bleeding fans’ wallets dry, the possibility of stagnant competition as the company prioritizes its brand over its pool of talent. But the waters are so high right now, it’s hard to tell if any of those amount to significant cracks.
I head out into the crowd. “He comes out like a fighter, that’s the biggest thing,” a baby-faced 29-year-old named Jonathan in a bright red hat tells me. “It resonates with a lot of people that are hurting,” his friend Ethan says. “When they see a strong figure like that, it gives a sense of hope.” Jonathan and Ethan are Canadian but love Trump.
White got the Nelk Boys on Trump’s plane, put him on the radar of podcaster Theo Von, comedian Andrew Schulz, and eventually Rogan. Rogan, White says, was resistant to wade into the political scene, but as the 2024 campaign escalated, White made it a personal project to get him on board. “I’ve been working on Rogan for years,” White tells me. “I knew that if I could get him and Trump together that they would hit it off.” White says he made a breakthrough when he invited Rogan to a private dinner with Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump, who helped persuade Rogan to bring Trump on his podcast, eventually leading to Rogan’s endorsement. (Reps for Rogan did not respond to a request for comment. A rep for Kushner and Ivanka Trump declined to comment.)
“There’s no rules [in MMA] to protect fighters, because there might be hundreds out there, but you’ll be dealing individually with this huge organization,” Ngannou says over Zoom from Paris. “You have no leverage … unlike other sports that have been around for so long and have a union that protects them. I was abused in that [UFC] contract. I was powerless, I was voiceless. On the other side, you have a guy who is the jury and the judge. He decides what goes.”
Here it is, in short: It’s the late Nineties, early 2000s. White, a boxing-fitness coach who claims he was run out of his native Boston by Whitey Bulger and the mob, is living in Las Vegas, palling around with a pair of casino-magnate brothers, Lorenzo and Frank Fertitta. Eventually, White and the Fertittas get “addicted” to grappling — Brazilian jujitsu, one of the bases of modern MMA — by training with former UFC fighter John Lewis and “trying to kill each other down in the gym at Fertitta Enterprises” three or four times a week, White says. Through Lewis, White starts managing some of the fledgling UFC’s fighters.
Donald Trump went to a UFC fight right after winning the 2024 election.
“When you’re at the level that Trump and all these other politicians are on, all you focus on is Fox, MSNBC, CNN, whatever. But that ain’t it,” White tells me. For the past several years, White has personally deepened the UFC’s relationships with the “manosphere,” seating podcasters like the Nelk Boys ringside and making Barstool Sports presenters favored mainstays in the UFC press room.
Sphere Factor
“Boxing would do Atlantic City, Vegas, and sometimes New York and L.A. They didn’t travel around to all these different states and small towns and big cities,” White says at the Peninsula, as he polishes off his steak. “We literally went everywhere with the UFC. We got the live event so dialed in, and so good — even in the early days, when it wasn’t at the level that it is now — nobody had ever seen anything like that. You never walked out of a live UFC event and said, ‘Yeah, I don’t ever want to come to one of these again.’ ”
“He called me on the phone and said, ‘If you don’t want to do this, I completely understand. But I would be honored if you would speak at the Republican Convention. I’m going to run for president,’ ” White says. “And everybody — everybody — told me not to do it. But you know, this guy’s been a good guy to me. I’m not going to say no.”
At any amateur or low-level professional MMA competition in America — of which there are dozens, if not hundreds — you can see people experiencing both sides of this equation in real time. A few weeks after returning to New York from Vegas, I take the train out to a nightclub in Queens called Amazura, which hosts a local promotion called Flex Fight Series. Local fight cards are often a mix of kickboxing and MMA matches with both professional and amateur fights on the ticket. There are generally two types of fighters in these brawls: the kind who get in — and push harder — when they’re hit in the face, and those who get out. The former, in most cases, make better fighters. (I have fought just enough to know that I am the latter.) Nobody likes getting hit in the face, but as the night at Amazura gets longer, more and more of the fighters in the ring seem like “get in” guys. Midway through the card, I head upstairs to the club’s steamy VIP room, which has been repurposed into the fighters’ warm-up area. The place is filled with wiry fighters reeking of Tiger Balm and sweat. There’s a guy jumping rope in the corner while another hits pads with his coach. The bar area has been taken over by the glove guy, who hands fighters the appropriate gear — boxing gloves for kickboxing, fingerless four-ounce gloves for MMA. I strike up a conversation with Elias Aminov, who is 23 years old, six feet one, 170 pounds, and 4-0 in amateur competition. All four of his previous fights ended in the first round, three by way of forcing a fast tap-out through chokes (also known as a “submission”) and one by technical knockout.
This is the grind. Fighters suffer through constant pain for years before they ever see a cent from it. There are no high school MMA teams, no college programs that provide coaching and medical care and state-of-the-art facilities. Fighters come to the sport because they step into a gym and never want to leave, because they washed out of those fancy college sports, because they were getting in too many fights on the streets and figured training was easier than jail. There is no pipeline to the pros: There is only the grind.
At the Madison Square Garden fight last year where Trump made his victory lap, red hats dotted the stadium.
Boxing, it should be said, still exists, but these days a casual fan is more likely to see a YouTuber fight a has-been than an actual title fight. Rogan called his shot well, and Trump, as White tells me, also saw the sport for what it could be. Trump has always known what will play well on TV.
Unlike the UFC’s ad-hoc matchmaking, the PFL’s regular roster of fighters compete in an annual tournament with a winner-take-all prize of 0,000. PFL’s chairman, the dot-com investor Donn Davis, claims that this structure puts more power in the hands of the fighters themselves. “I like that the athlete’s in control,” Davis tells me. “Nobody here is a puppeteer, nobody’s here playing favorites.”
What drew those three men together, above all else, was the belief that a little-known, barely regulated blood sport could tap into America’s latent appetite for violence and catharsis. Two decades later, they’ve been proved right, and their gamble has put all three at the direct center of one of the most extreme political realignments the country has seen in a century. If you want to understand Trump’s America, you have to understand the UFC.
White doesn’t control what happens in the cage, but before a referee yells “Fight,” he is essentially the only voice that matters. When I got to Vegas five days before the Sphere fight, I went to the UFC Apex, a satellite building near the main headquarters where a massive, balding kickboxer beat the snot out of a much smaller-looking Japanese striker. The fight was one of several White attends almost every Tuesday night as part of his televised “Contender Series,” a sort of UFC tryout circuit that functions like a bloody episode of The Apprentice.
Belgaroui’s face falls. He won, but it wasn’t enough.
The Loudest Voice
Jones versus Miocic goes about how everyone expected. Miocic puts up a fight, but is clearly outmatched from the first round. In the third, Jones finishes it in spectacular fashion — a devastating spinning back kick that hits Miocic so hard in the floating ribs that he crumples, all the wind and fight gone out of him at the end of one angry man’s heel. Jones saunters to the middle of the cage, shimmying his hips and arms in an imitation of Trump’s signature shuffle-dance. White brings out the belt, a gleaming, skateboard-size strap of leather and gold, and Jones presents it to Trump, as Rogan hovers around after post-fight interviews. Miocic, quietly, announces his retirement.
“The kids at the jitsu gym — when they see me, I can see their eyes get wide. I remember being that kid looking up to others,” Blanchfield tells me. “The women before us didn’t have anyone to look up to.”
The next day, I fly to Las Vegas, where White prepares for one of his biggest live events yet. The confusingly named “Riyadh Season Noche UFC” is a partly Saudi-sponsored blowout celebrating Mexican independence and culture in Vegas’ absurdly futuristic Sphere amphitheater. (White picked the venue after Tom Brady took him to see U2 play there.) It’s the first MMA fight at the Sphere, and, all together, it’s costing the UFC upward of million. I meet White at the UFC’s corporate headquarters in a sparse industrial district southwest of the Strip. White strolls into the lobby, which has a bank of TVs playing Judge Judy and ESPN above a wall full of broadcast awards. White is bald, a few inches short of six feet, and built like a small fridge: thick neck, broad shoulders, biceps straining at the short sleeves of his polo shirt, and the rolling gait of guys who are intimately familiar with the concept of “leg day.”
Aminov and I don’t talk much about politics — I’m not much interested in his, and he’s not much interested in mine. MMA gyms are some of the most accepting places I have ever been: If you show up to work and respect your training partners, most other facets of your identity will be pretty much ignored. But there’s no denying that in recent years, the sport’s culture as a whole has taken a drastic and alarming swing to the far right.
I meet White for the first time in early September. We eat lunch in a private dining room attached to the restaurant in the Peninsula hotel in Manhattan, where White stays when he’s in New York. He runs late to the interview because he’s been downstairs buying a watch at the Rolex store for a longtime associate, a gift for his service and loyalty over decades. He orders a strip steak medium well, asparagus, and a Cobb salad chopped and tossed with both ranch and blue cheese dressing. He brings his own drink, some blue electrolyte mix that he pours out of a glass Voss water bottle into a plastic cup emblazoned with Power Slap branding. (Power Slap is White’s latest venture, a “slap fighting” promotion in which “fighters” slap each other in the face, usually until one is knocked out.) Fortunately, I’m not there to talk about Power Slap, and White happily launches into the story of the UFC.
Making Ends Meet
I don’t know what will happen next to Belgaroui. He’s a seasoned fighter — 8-3 as a pro in MMA, with a 27-7 record against high-level kickboxing competition before he made the jump to the cage. But without the UFC, your options are limited. That fact is even more brutal when you realize what it takes to even get that shot on the Contender Series. All around the country, fighters sweat, puke, and bleed their way through an endless grind of high-impact training for the slim chance of getting a shot at real money. The UFC, ONE, the PFL, and Bellator can offer contracts that, with sponsorships and social media endorsements, can amount to something like a living wage: say, three fights a year at mid five-figures per, plus money on the side through the social marketing. The biggest fighters make hundreds of thousands if not millions per fight, but they’re outliers. Everyone else, for the most part, is just like you and me: working a day job, making ends meet. But when their day job is over, MMA’s up-and-comers go right back to work in the gym.
“You don’t see me running around trying to defend the pay and all that stuff all the time, because I don’t give a shit,” White tells me. “I know what we’re doing. I know how many people’s lives we’ve changed, and I know for a fact that we’ve built the right pay structure to build a business, and grow the business, and reinvest in the business.”
Elias Aminov (left) is declared winner of an MMA fight in Queens, New York.
The question, then, is how far White can ride this wave. How far does this new America go? How long do the fights last? “For the short and medium term, this is absolutely the sport of the moment,” Thomas, the longtime MMA commentator, tells me. “But they’ve tied their fortunes so nakedly to one guy’s political identity and movement. I’ve got a feeling it’s not going to last forever.”
The UFC aims to build on the success of last year’s Noche UFC, tapping into its passionate Latin American fan base with a fight card (the term for the list of matchups at a single event) made up mostly of Mexican and Central American fighters. Still, it’s a risk — the experimental venue and budget throw a wrench in the company’s polished live-event process.
T
here are two men bleeding in a chain-link cage in front of the next president of the United States. A week and a half ago, Donald Trump was elected for his second term, and now he is back home at the center of the world, underneath the lights at Madison Square Garden, watching the greatest gladiators of our time fight in a canvas-and-steel octagon. For the past four rounds, Charles Oliveira, a tall Brazilian with blinding white teeth and icy bleached hair to match, has been beating the absolute shit out of Michael Chandler, a short American wrestler who fights with a kind of manic joy that often works against him. Case in point: Early in the fifth and final round, Chandler finally connects with a right hook right on the side of Oliveira’s jaw that sounds like slapping the flat of a shovel into wet earth. Oliveira staggers, and Chandler blitzes forward, arms and eyes wide, looking for the kill, but then slips and falls over. They end up on the ground instead, Chandler on top, pounding at the back of Oliveira’s head: brutal, dangerous strikes that are illegal in the universal rules of mixed martial arts but not called by the referee.
Inside the UFC, White has his fighters who he has gone to bat for time and time again. One of those fighters is Jones, the current UFC heavyweight champion, who is headlining the event at Madison Square Garden in mid-November. Jones, now 37, has had multiple arrests and failed drug tests, a previous title belt stripped, compounding injuries, and years without fights. He and White have had public differences, but Jones tells me that behind the scenes, White has stuck with him. To sell this fight, White has made that loyalty public, declaring Jones the “pound-for-pound greatest of all time” so incessantly that the phrase becomes a fan meme.
The union of UFC and what would become MAGA started back in 2015. Since the early fights at the Taj Mahal, White and Trump stayed in touch, with the latter making it clear that he was keeping a careful eye on the UFC. “There was a write-up in The New York Times about the UFC, and Trump took the article and wrote, ‘Congratulations Dana, I always knew you were gonna do it,’ ” White tells me. “Stuff like that would roll into the office.” Their relationship was friendly but not close, until White got the chance to stick his neck out for Trump the way Trump had for him way back at the Taj Mahal.
The boss was not pleased. Usually, if a fighter wins a Contender Series fight, they’ll get their first real UFC contract, but it’s not always cut-and-dry: White hams up the drama, proclaiming that he is “interested” or “not interested” in each fighter at a press conference following the fights. When Belgaroui’s name comes up, he gets the latter.
This culture, this movement, Kay says — “It refuses to be denied.”
“Coach, you think this needs stitches?” Aminov asks. Jimenez grimaces. “I dunno man … I think it needs something to keep it closed.” Aminov swears. We look up the nearest walk-in place to the gym, but it’s almost 10 p.m., and everything is closed. “You don’t have someone to do that stuff for you … a nurse girlfriend or something?” Jimenez asks. Aminov laughs and shakes his head. At least he has insurance, which is more than many fighters have.
A few months later, Ngannou signed a new contract with an upstart, rival promotion: the Professional Fighters League. Ngannou tells me the PFL approached him with a contract that he agreed to on the spot, including a minimum purse for his opponent. His own take was reportedly north of million for his first fight with the PFL.
“The production we have now has taken 25 years to dial in and get right where we want it. I believe it’s perfect,” White says. But this week is different. “We don’t know what’s going to happen. Is this a good idea? We’ll know Saturday night. But I wanted to attempt it, and I wanted to be first, and here we are.”
The UFC — and White — have built this business around a bloody version of the American dream: that any given fight could be your highlight-reel knockout, your big break. And that anyone, even a Venezuelan immigrant who can’t afford groceries, can make it to a title shot someday, if they just work hard enough, sweat hard enough, bleed enough. The UFC’s roster is riddled with testaments to this: fighters who’ve come from nothing and achieved everything. The UFC’s parent company was projected to make around .75 billion in 2024. What portion of the UFC’s revenue goes to fighters is unclear, but prior reporting based on court documents shows it hovers at around 20 percent. In the NFL, NBA, and MLB, that revenue share is closer to 50 percent.
Aminov takes a hit above his eye at practice.
“Nobody wanted to give him arenas because they said it’s a rough sport — a little rough,” Trump said at his election-night victory party last year, telling the story of their meeting before ushering White onstage to speak. “I said, ‘This is the roughest sport I’ve ever seen,’ and I began to like it.”
White, and many fighters, see this as a success story — a dedicated athlete making the most of a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. But it’s clear that in this system, White’s favor can be the most valuable currency.
Aminov is getting back into regular training after his fight. We spar for a few rounds. Aminov takes it easy on me: He loves the sneaky left high kick and has a lanky fighter’s long jab that pops right through my guard more than once. When you move around with a fighter in the gym, their eyes are dead until they hit you. It’s disconcerting to try to punch someone who looks bored, but it’s even scarier when their eyes light up after they tag you with a shot. And even with everyone playing nice, there’s always a chance of blood: At one practice, Aminov eats an accidental headbutt that splits the skin over his right eye.
The line about favorites seems to be a reference to White. When I bring it up, White responds: “Who the fuck is Donn Davis?”
The nature of Trump and White’s relationship is unique, especially in a second term riddled with presidential friends and familiar faces, as White appears to be one of the few people in his inner circle who is not jockeying for a cabinet seat or personal advancement. “I don’t want anything from him,” White says. “I don’t want anything from this election. I don’t want anything from him in that way, other than his friendship.”
Dvalishvili walks out to a thumping Georgian folk song and then enters the cage to “Por Mi México,” by Lefty SM. The Sphere projects a four-story hologram of him over the domed screen. O’Malley follows, walking out to “Superstar,” by Lupe Fiasco. The crowd goes nuts, chanting “Su-ga! Su-ga! Su-ga!” The cage closes, the fight begins.
Hunter Campbell, the UFC’s chief business officer, claims Ngannou left after refusing terms for a fight with undefeated heavyweight Jon Jones. “Francis Ngannou publicly raised issues such as health insurance as a talking point for himself to attempt to change the narrative,” Campbell says. “I dealt with Francis extensively, and it’s my opinion he was always most concerned with himself.”
A Right Hook
In 2001, Trump was a famous but bankruptcy-plagued developer and casino owner, riding high on a powerful personal brand. At the time, the UFC’s most recognizable figure was its lead commentator, a stand-up comedian and reality-TV host named Joe Rogan.
The vast majority of fighters on this path are men. White, for years, resisted including women in the UFC, but relented in 2013 thanks to the star power of Ronda Rousey, a blond, photogenic fighter who took bronze in judo at the 2008 Olympics. After that, the women’s game grew rapidly. In 2014, I met a fighter named Erin Blanchfield, a 15-year-old grappling prodigy who was already training with adult fighters. Now, she’s the UFC’s number-three flyweight, inches away from a shot at the belt, and a testament to how far the sport has come in those 10 years.
“THIS IS THE ROUGHEST SPORT I’VE EVER SEEN,” TRUMP SAYS, “AND I LIKE IT.”
The fights start up again. The crowd bursts into chants of “USA! USA!” every few minutes. The energy carries all the way through to the main event, through Oliveira and Chandler’s wild scrap.
“The sport has probably always been decidedly right wing,” Luke Thomas, a longtime MMA commentator and podcaster, tells me. Fighting is a brutal and individualist sport, and orienting your life around violence can lend itself to seeing the world in harsh absolutes. But in the early aughts, Thomas says, those attitudes were kept more under wraps as the UFC was “groping for mainstream appeal.”
A few weeks later, I drop by Aminov’s gym in midtown Manhattan, a two-story studio with sweat-fogged windows and a full octagon for sparring and drills. He trains under a grappling coach and former pro, Andy Jimenez. Jimenez is a quiet, friendly man who immediately tells me to grab some gear and hop into drills with Aminov. “I like to let fighters be themselves,” he says. It shows — his room is a mix of former wrestlers and guys with a few years of boxing who are switching to MMA (Aminov, who had no background in combat sports before taking up MMA, is somewhat of a minority in the fight world).
Tonight, Aminov is fighting for his first belt — the Flex Fight Series amateur welterweight title. His opponent, Randy Mendez, is shorter and stronger, and comes out fast, catching Aminov with a jab. Mendez gets a takedown but loses position. In the second round, Mendez connects with a hard right and drops Aminov to the mat, but Aminov recovers quickly, nearly ripping through Mendez’s elbow joint with an “armbar.” In the third, Aminov almost gets a leg lock, but Mendez’s shin is so slippery with sweat and blood, he can’t finish it. Amateur fights are quick: three three-minute rounds. Aminov wins in a controversial split decision.
The Ultimate Fighting Championship, a 31-year-old company that dominates the sport globally, is one of the most profitable properties of the Endeavor Group, an American conglomerate of talent management and media companies that earned around billion in revenue last year. The UFC is the gold standard of the sport, valued at some billion on its own. There are other companies, which the fight world refers to as “promotions” — the Professional Fighters League, Bellator MMA, Cage Warriors, and the Asia-dominant One Championship — but if you want to be a star in MMA, it has to happen in the UFC. And it won’t happen without Dana White.
Aminov hopes to turn pro after his next fight, either sticking with Flex or making the hop to a bigger promotion like the Texas-based Legacy Fighting Alliance or the Northeast’s Cage Fury Fighting Championship. There, pros can expect a couple of thousand bucks per fight, maybe doubled if they win. In the UFC, it doesn’t get that much better — a new fighter’s standard contract is often somewhere around “10 and 10,” or ,000 per fight, with ,000 for a win. That’s a step up from the regionals, but when you consider that fighters will fight at most four times in a year, it doesn’t add up to much, even if they win. The week before I went to Vegas, a Venezuelan fighter on the Contender Series didn’t have money to buy herself groceries during fight week, and the UFC stepped in to help her out. She won the fight — a spectacular knockout that impressed the hell out of White and earned an immediate contract with the UFC and bonus from White himself. “Let me tell you what, she ain’t broke now,” White said following the fight.
A Political Win
The buildup to Noche UFC is as big as it gets. The main draw is the hyped-up bantamweight championship between Georgian wrestler Merab Dvalishvili and the current belt holder, “Suga” Sean O’Malley, a rainbow-haired, lanky knockout artist. For months before this fight, they’ve taunted each other online to drum up hype (Dvalishvili has a shockingly good O’Malley lookalike on hand to be the butt of his Instagram skits, for instance). The official press conference takes place on a stage erected in the Sphere’s baking-hot parking lot, adjacent to a “fan experience” area where hordes of young men in “Suga” basketball jerseys and free, bright-pink Happy Dad seltzer trucker hats mill around. When O’Malley takes the stage, his basketball-jersey boys go absolutely feral: screaming at Dvalishvili, jeering at the Georgian fans in the crowd. In person, O’Malley is quiet and thoughtful: “He [Dvalishvili] is good. He’s great. He’s as good as he says he is,” O’Malley tells me before the press conference. “I just believe I’m better.”
One of them, Francis Ngannou, is perhaps the only former fighter who has gone toe to toe with the boss and won. Ngannou, a Cameroonian immigrant who took up MMA after living on the streets of Paris, tore his way through the UFC’s heavyweight division in the late 2010s, claiming the undisputed championship in 2021. But after a single title defense, Ngannou’s contract negotiations fell apart. Ngannou says he pushed the UFC to give their fighters health insurance, more opportunities for personal sponsorships, and an advocate at meetings with the company.
To know what this is like, you need to understand what it feels like to get hit in the face. The pain is easy to imagine: a sharp jolt as your brain rattles inside your skull. Your eyes well up with tears, and you both smell and taste copper at the back of your nose and throat. It hurts, yes, but there’s also an immediate sense of disgrace. It makes you angry and afraid and ashamed — another person has hit you and you couldn’t stop them. A punch steals your pride and your confidence, and if you get hit with enough of them, they’ll even take your sanity. Getting hit hard feels awful. To do it to someone else, however, is one of the greatest feelings in the world.
In the years since Trump’s first election in 2016, and particularly since the Covid-19 pandemic, the wraps have come off. “It is expressly right wing now,” Thomas says. “The fan base and the sport more generally have been ideologically homogenized.”
White has effectively run the UFC since 2001. Under his tenure, the UFC has become synonymous with MMA and served as the driving force behind the sport’s transformation into a global sensation. White’s more than 25-year devotion to the sport and making money from it has made him its principal god, his authority largely unchecked by investors and fighters alike. The UFC’s rise and current dominance have paralleled that of a new political movement centered, similarly, on one man: Trump. It should come as little surprise, then, that White and Trump are close friends, their lives intertwined for decades by politics and business, their outlooks on the world united by a fixation on loyalty and a ruthless intolerance of opposition.
Finally, it’s fight night. The octagon sits in the center of the Sphere’s stage, with amphitheater seating stretching high up into the dome on one side and a gargantuan, LED-display screen enveloping the other. When the main card starts, the Sphere itself steals the show. After each fight, a film tells a history: steamy Aztec jungles, pueblas and markets, scenes of battle and revolution, all building toward a futuristic cityscape meant to show what Mexico could become. I begin to understand where the million went. All this, for a sport that started in 1993 with a fight between a 200-pound Dutch kickboxer and a 400-pound Hawaiian sumo wrestler in an outdated hockey arena in Denver (the sumo wrestler lost).
In the years since, White and Trump’s mutual loyalty has deepened. They dine together when they can and speak on the phone frequently (“He hates FaceTime,” White says), and White is also close to several other members of the Trump family, including Ivanka and Jared Kushner. Last year, White took an even more active role in Trump’s orbit, advocating for the presidential candidate to engage with the new-media empire of podcasts, comedians, and YouTubers who sent the president’s numbers skyrocketing with young men.
Charles Oliveira (bottom) won his match at the UFC fight at MSG where Trump sat front-row.
“He was an 11-to-1 favorite against a guy who took a fight on short notice. He’s a six-foot-five middleweight,” White says into a microphone. “Instead of closing his hands and using them to keep him off him or to finish him, he poked him in the eyes. He did not impress me tonight. I’m not interested.”
It’s not, perhaps, the most cinematic ending for the UFC: O’Malley is one of its biggest stars, and his horde of merch- and ticket-buying fans just watched him get his face shoved into the canvas for 25 minutes straight. In the post-fight press conference, well after midnight, White tells it straight. “You can put on million of production, but you can’t control the fights,” he says. “I cannot let that drive me crazy.”
The arena clears out quickly. Outside, I try talking to a gaggle of red hats, but most of them are too drunk to give me anything worth writing down. “MMA is amazing” is all I get when I ask one guy why he likes the sport.
The Victory Lap
“It feels good to have a sense of control over the way my story ends,” Jones tells me backstage at MSG. “Oftentimes, you see athletes that stay too long, and a lot of times fans remember them for the old version of themselves instead of them in their prime. I don’t want to be remembered for my degression.”
The Fertittas bought the company two months later for a price of million. By January 2001, White was installed as president and CEO, with a stake in the company as a finder’s fee. At the time, the UFC had nothing, and White was faced with rebuilding the organization essentially from scratch. Fortunately, he had two dedicated allies: Rogan and Trump. White and Rogan, who had been calling fights for the UFC as a side gig since ’97, went on a nationwide media blitz.
White tells me: “Trump got it. Think about where the Trump brand was and where the UFC brand was. Not only did he get it — he also showed up for both events. He was there for the first prelim of the night, and he stayed through the main event.”
In the cage at the Apex, a Tunisian Dutch kickboxer named Yousri Belgaroui used his range and length to great effect: long, snapping punches that his opponent, Taiga Iwasaki, couldn’t seem to get through to close the distance. Belgaroui was also eye-poking the shit out of Iwasaki, prompting the referee to deduct a point. Cage-side, White frowned. Belgaroui is six feet five but competes at middleweight, the UFC’s 185-pound division, which means he towers over most opponents. He should be making short work of this guy or else picking on someone his own size. In the third round, he opted for the former, throwing a leaping knee that connected hard with Iwasaki’s jaw and sent him backpedaling frantically. Belgaroui chased him before stabbing a straight right punch into his gut. Iwasaki crumpled as Belgaroui fired a few more sloppy strikes that glanced off the top of his head.
Peña is a brilliant and intensely dedicated fighter — first claiming the title in a massive upset win against Amanda Nunes, one of the greatest female fighters of all time. But for every bonus White pays out, for every new champion crowned, there are dozens of other fighters who take their bare-minimum check and try to make it last until their next chance to impress the boss.
“He’s the type of guy where you have to talk to him like you own the joint. If somebody goes out there and fights their ass off, he’ll reward you for it,” Julianna Peña, the current women’s bantamweight champion, tells me. (Peña’s last fight reportedly netted her somewhere around half a million dollars.) “There’s never been a time when he hasn’t given me everything that I could need.”
When an athlete leaves the cage for the last time, they’re completely on their own. White points to former fighters having opportunities to become UFC analysts and do paid meet-and-greets with fans at live events. “Believe me,” White says, “we do more than everybody does. I say it all the time: It’s not a job, it’s an opportunity.” The fighters I talk to admit the system’s flaws but balk at considering any kind of widespread change. The grind is the grind. If you make it to the top, there’s no way anyone can say you didn’t earn it. “It’s like what some people say,” Aminov tells me after practice, his eyebrow still wet with fresh blood. “You eat what you kill.”
“I got into this huge contract dispute with Bob Meyrowitz — the old owner — and one day he fucking flipped out on me and just started saying, ‘There is no more money. I don’t even know if I can put on my next event,’ ” White says. “And after we hung up the phone, I was like, ‘Holy shit.’ I called Lorenzo and I said, ‘I just got off the phone with the owner of the UFC, and I think they’re going bankrupt. I think they’re done. I think we could buy the company.’ ”
At the Garden, there’s plenty for fans to remember. Jones, Miocic, Chandler, and Oliveira are all huge draws in their own right, but tonight, they share the stage with the biggest headliner the UFC could possibly pull: the newly victorious President-elect Trump. Trump arrives just at the start of the main card, entering the arena like a fighter. White leads him out. His walkout song, Kid Rock’s “American Badass,” thunders through the arena. “I wish the people at home could hear the sound in this room,” Rogan squeals on the pay-per-view broadcast. The cheers rise and fall like waves as Trump glad-hands his way through the UFC announcers’ table and VIP section. Kid Rock himself is there, as is Elon Musk, prospective Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., prospective Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, Department of Government Efficiency co-chair Vivek Ramaswamy, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, some of the Trump kids — it’s their victory lap. The jumbotrons above the octagon play a sizzle reel of Trump and Vice President-elect J.D. Vance on the campaign trail. “God spared my life for a reason,” drones a recording of Trump, “to restore America to greatness.” As a giant red 45 turns to a 47 onscreen, the voice-over blares, “Together we can truly make America great again.” The crowd is deafening. “It’s always loud when he comes in, but now that he’s won? Now that he’s the president again?” an elated Rogan says on his broadcast.
Rolling Stone contributing writer JACK CROSBIE covered Democratic incumbent Sherrod Brown’s Senate campaign in Ohio in the July-August issue.
Professional Sports
1. FC Saarbrücken TT Defends Title at the 2025 HYLO Champions League Final 4
After two days of top-class table tennis, 1. FC Saarbrücken TT successfully defended their title at the 2025 HYLO Champions League Final 4. In the final held at Saarlandhalle Saarbrücken, the reigning champions overcame Borussia Düsseldorf in a repeat of last year’s decisive clash. This marks Saarbrücken’s third consecutive title, further solidifying their dominance under […]
After two days of top-class table tennis, 1. FC Saarbrücken TT successfully defended their title at the 2025 HYLO Champions League Final 4. In the final held at Saarlandhalle Saarbrücken, the reigning champions overcame Borussia Düsseldorf in a repeat of last year’s decisive clash.
This marks Saarbrücken’s third consecutive title, further solidifying their dominance under the Final 4 format. Meanwhile, Borussia Düsseldorf—the most decorated club in the competition’s history—remains on six Champions League titles and six Europe Cup of Champions trophy.
In Saturday’s semifinals, Borussia Düsseldorf secured a convincing win over KS Dartom Bogoria Grodzisk Mazowiecki, while 1. FC Saarbrücken TT overcame Polish challengers KS Global Pharma Orlicz 1924 Suchedniów to book their place in the final.
1. FC Saarbrücken TT – Borussia Düsseldorf 3-1
Patrick FRANZISKA – Anton KALLBERG 2-3 (13-15, 8-11, 11-6, 11-7, 5-6)
Anton KÄLLBERG held off Patrick FRANZISKA’s fierce comeback from 0–2 down to win their duel by the sudden death point in the fifth game.
With a strong service-receive game, KÄLLBERG stormed to an early 5–0 lead. FRANZISKA responded with several pinpoint balls into the corners, narrowing the gap and reaching 7–8 from 4–8. KÄLLBERG earned the first game point at 7–10, but FRANZISKA, relying on a strong serve, leveled at 10–10. After saving two game points, the German had his own at 12–11, but it was KÄLLBERG who ultimately converted his fourth opportunity to take the game 15–13.
KÄLLBERG kept up the pressure early in the second game. At 3–1, Borussia called a timeout due to a minor injury to the Swede’s hand. FRANZISKA leveled the score at 3–3 as they returned to the table. The game remained even until 7–7, but in the closing moments, KÄLLBERG capitalized on his first real opening and sealed it 11–8.
With the pressure mounting, FRANZISKA shifted the momentum. He raced to a 6–1 lead in the third game, pushed further to 8–3, and eventually closed it 11–6 on his second game ball. The tide had clearly turned. A 5–1 lead in the fourth game sparked loud cheers from the crowd. KÄLLBERG kept his composure and leveled at 5–5, then 6–6, but FRANZISKA surged ahead once more to 9–6 and closed the game 11–7 to force a decider.
In the decisive fifth game, FRANZISKA led 5–3, but KÄLLBERG stayed calm under pressure and ultimately delivered the first point of the match for Borussia Düsseldorf.
“We had so many matches going back and forth. I think after the second game, Patrick really started to play better. We had great rallies, but I couldn’t finish them. In the end, it’s the one with better nerves that matters,” said KÄLLBERG.
Truls MOREGARD – Dang QIU 3-0 (11-7, 11-4, 11-7)
In a match that appeared one-sided from the outset, Truls MOREGARD nullified Borussia’s early advantage and brought the tie back to level terms.
The Swede claimed the opening game without much trouble and maintained the same tempo, closing the second game even more convincingly. In the third, Dang QIU came close at 6–7, but after a timeout, Truls showed no signs of weakness.
“Against QIU, it’s important to be as aggressive as possible. You can’t afford mistakes—you have to do everything right if you want to beat him. I felt good and played well. My service worked fine too,” said MOREGARD.
Darko JORGIC – Timo BOLL 3-2 (17-15, 8-11, 11-7, 2-11, 6-1)
In his final appearance in the Champions League, Timo BOLL delivered a vintage performance, pushing Darko JORGIC to his limits in a fantastic match that showed his enduring class. Although the Slovenian ultimately prevailed, it was a gripping battle throughout.
JORGIC came out firing in the opening game, combining power and precision to establish a 7–4 lead. BOLL responded with composure, saving a game point at 9–10 and creating five of his own. Still, under pressure, Darko held firm and converted his second game point to take the lead.
The second game saw BOLL come out in dominant fashion. He raced to a 7–2 lead and earned his first game point at 10–4. Though JORGIC mounted a brief comeback, BOLL closed it out 11–8.
The third game was a rollercoaster. JORGIC led 5–1, but BOLL fought back to level at 5–5. However, JORGIC held his nerve and finished strong to win 11–7.
In the fourth, BOLL took full control, overwhelming JORGIC with his aggressive play and forcing a decider.
The fifth game began with JORGIC delivering outstanding serves, quickly pulling ahead 3–0. He maintained the momentum and eventually sealed the victory, ending a memorable contest against one of table tennis’s true legends.
Patrick FRANZISKA – Dang QIU 3-2 (11-6, 2-11, 11-6, 7-11, 6-5)
In the clash between two players who had both lost their opening encounters, Patrick FRANZISKA made the better start, but Dang QIU responded with intensity. The momentum shifted again in the third game, as FRANZISKA regained control, racing to a 5–0 lead and maintaining a safe margin to close out the game.
QIU, however, did not back down. With a commanding performance, he forced a decider.
In the fifth game, QIU started strongly, taking a 3–0 lead. The hosts called a timeout, and upon returning to the table, FRANZISKA won the next two points. QIU recovered quickly to earn match point at 5–2, but it was FRANZISKA who ultimately claimed the victory on a sudden death point.
College Sports
Everything Coming to Prime Video in June 2025
June 2025 brings an exciting lineup to Prime Video with a mix of original series, blockbuster movies, and thought-provoking documentaries. Amazon’s streaming service will feature the action comedy “Deep Cover” as its headline attraction, alongside the crime thriller series “Countdown” and a special documentary for motorsports enthusiasts. Subscribers can also look forward to “The Orkney […]
June 2025 brings an exciting lineup to Prime Video with a mix of original series, blockbuster movies, and thought-provoking documentaries. Amazon’s streaming service will feature the action comedy “Deep Cover” as its headline attraction, alongside the crime thriller series “Countdown” and a special documentary for motorsports enthusiasts. Subscribers can also look forward to “The Orkney Assassin: Murder in the Isles” documentary premiering on June 8th and the original series “We Were Liars” arriving mid-month on June 18th.
The streaming platform continues to expand its content library with unique offerings like the eagerly awaited “Deep Cover,” which has been generating buzz among action movie fans. While competitors focus on summer blockbusters, Prime Video is creating a balanced June schedule that appeals to diverse viewing preferences with crime dramas, comedies, and documentaries all represented in the month’s releases.
Everything Coming to Prime Video in June
Amazon Prime Video is kicking off the summer with one of its most diverse and ambitious lineups yet. June 2025 brings a rich mix of original programming, returning fan favorites, high-profile movies, true crime docs, global dramas, and live sports. From Robert Eggers’ gothic horror epic Nosferatu to powerful new series like Countdown and We Were Liars, this month is packed with reasons to keep watching.
Whether you’re in the mood for psychological thrillers, Korean dramas, classic movies, or a front-row seat to NASCAR and WNBA action, Prime Video is delivering content at scale this month.
Prime Video Originals: New Must-Watch Releases
Deep Cover
Premieres: June 12
Genre: Action-Comedy
Starring: Bryce Dallas Howard, Orlando Bloom, Nick Mohammed, Sean Bean
An improv teacher gets a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to act as a fake criminal in an undercover police operation. With a wild blend of British humor and spy-thriller hijinks, Deep Cover is shaping up to be one of the most entertaining comedies of the summer.
We Were Liars
Premieres: June 18
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Starring: Emily Alyn Lind, Rahul Kohli, David Morse
Adapted from E. Lockhart’s bestselling novel, this suspenseful series follows a privileged teen and her tight-knit group of friends as they unravel dark family secrets over one fateful summer.
Countdown
Premieres: June 25
Genre: Crime Drama
Starring: Jensen Ackles, Eric Dane, Jessica Camacho
A Homeland Security officer is murdered in broad daylight—and LAPD detective Mark Meachum is pulled into a covert task force to stop an impending disaster. With high-stakes action and a ticking clock, Countdown drops with three episodes at launch and continues weekly through early September.
Head Over Heels
Premieres: June 23
Genre: Fantasy Romance
Airing Weekly
This Korean-inspired drama follows Park Seong-A, a high school girl with shamanic abilities, who foresees the death of a charming transfer student. Determined to change fate, she battles time and destiny.
The Chosen: Last Supper (Season 5)
Premieres: June 15
The global phenomenon returns with Jesus’ final days before his crucifixion. Episodes roll out over three weeks, exploring rising tension and ultimate sacrifice.
Infiltrada en el Búnker
Premieres: June 27
Genre: Investigative Documentary
Spanish filmmaker Carlota Saorsa exposes disturbing footage from inside animal testing facilities. This eye-opening documentary dives deep into the ethics of science, secrecy, and systemic abuse.
ROMCON: Who the F* Is Jason Porter?**
Premieres: June 13
Genre: True Crime
A chilling two-part documentary about a woman who discovers her romantic partner is actually a dangerous con artist living a double life.
Marry My Husband
Premieres: June 27
Genre: Romantic Drama
After a betrayal by her husband and best friend, a woman wakes up 10 years in the past with a second chance to rewrite her story—and her future.
Headliner Movie: Nosferatu (2024)
Premieres: June 27
Robert Eggers (The Witch, The Lighthouse) returns with his haunting take on the classic vampire tale. With gothic visuals, atmospheric dread, and standout performances, Nosferatu is already generating awards buzz and stands out as June’s biggest film release.
Other Movie Highlights
Available June 1
An impressive catalog of classics and crowd-pleasers hits Prime Video, including:
- 12 Angry Men
- Brokeback Mountain
- Capote
- Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
- Cowboys & Aliens
- Dead Man Walking
- Moneyball
- Godzilla (2014)
- Platoon
- The Birdcage
- Some Like It Hot
- The Greatest Showman
- White Chicks
- Oblivion
- Happy Feet 1 & 2
- The Thomas Crown Affair (both versions)
- Pixels, Nanny McPhee, Valkyrie, and many more
Other June Releases
- American Thunder: NASCAR to Le Mans – June 12
- Sonic the Hedgehog 3 – June 20
- Salvatore: Shoemaker of Dreams – June 21
- XXX: Return of Xander Cage – June 30
International & K-Drama Drops (June 29)
A huge wave of Korean and Asian dramas land at the end of the month, including:
- Another Miss Oh (S1)
- Her Private Life (S1)
- Melting Me Softly (S1)
- Military Prosecutor Doberman (S1)
- Mouse (S1)
- The Heavenly Idol (S1)
- The Killer’s Shopping List (S1)
- Touch Your Heart (S1)
Live Sports in June
NASCAR
- June 1: Nashville Superspeedway
- June 8: Michigan Speedway
- June 15: Mexico City
- June 22: Pocono Raceway
MLB – New York Yankees
- June 4: vs. Cleveland Guardians
- June 11: vs. Kansas City Royals
- June 18: vs. LA Angels
- June 25: vs. Cincinnati Reds
WNBA
- June 5, 19, 26: Multiple matchups including Liberty, Mercury, Aces
NWSL & ONE Championship
- June 6, 13, 20: Women’s Soccer Showdowns
- June 6: Allycia Rodrigues vs. Shir Cohen (ONE)
Live Music Streaming (June 5–8)
Primavera Sound Barcelona
Stream Charli XCX, Chappell Roan, Sabrina Carpenter and more live on Prime Video and Amazon Music’s Twitch channel.
Why Prime Video Is Owning June
This month’s lineup makes one thing clear—Prime Video is no longer just a streaming service; it’s a multi-genre powerhouse. From prestige horror to laugh-out-loud comedies, from sports documentaries to true crime exposés, from shamanic romances to vampire legends, June 2025 is a masterclass in content variety.
With over 50 new movies and series, plus live sports and music coverage, Prime Video is easily one of the best values in streaming right now.
What’s Coming To Amazon This June (Calendar)
Arriving on June 1
12 Angry Men (movie)
Annie (movie)
At First Sight (movie)
Bad Teacher (movie)
Benny & Joon (movie)
Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey (movie)
Bill & Ted Face the Music (movie)
Billy Madison (movie)
Bloodsport (movie)
Brokeback Mountain (movie)
Capote (movie)
Chips (movie)
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (movie)
Cowboys & Aliens (movie)
Daddy Day Care (movie)
Dead Man Walking (movie)
Fled (movie)
Godzilla (movie)
Guns of the Magnificent Seven (movie)
Half Baked (movie)
Happy Feet (movie)
Happy Feet Two (movie)
Heartbreakers (movie)
Letters From Iwo Jima (movie)
Life (movie)
Masters of the Universe (movie)
Midnight Cowboy (movie)
Mississippi Burning (movie)
Moneyball (movie)
Nanny McPhee (movie)
Oblivion (movie)
Platoon (movie)
Pixels (movie)
Red Corner (movie)
Return of the Seven (movie)
Rings (movie)
Road House (movie)
Ronin (movie)
Serenity (movie)
Stargate (movie)
Some Like It Hot (movie)
The Birdcage (movie)
The Brothers (movie)
The Greatest Showman (movie)
The Magnificent Seven (movie)
The Perfect Guy (movie)
The Thomas Crown Affair (movie)
The Thomas Crown Affair (movie)
The Town That Dreaded Sundown (movie)
Twins (movie)
Valkyrie (movie)
White Chicks (movie)
Arriving on June 12
American Thunder: NASCAR to Le Mans (documentary)
Arriving on June 13
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ROMCON: Who the F*** Is Jason Porter? (documentary)
Arriving on June 15
The Chosen: Last Supper season 5 (TV show)
Arriving on June 18
We Were Liars (movie)
Arriving on June 20
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (movie)
Arriving on June 21
Salvatore: Shoemaker of Dreams (documentary)
Arriving on June 23
Head Over Heels (TV show)
Arriving on June 25
Countdown (TV show)
Arriving on June 27
Infiltrada en el búnker (documentary)
Marry My Husband (movie)
Nosferatu (movie)
Arriving on June 29
Another Miss Oh season 1 (TV show)
Her Private Life season 1 (TV show)
Melting Me Softly season 1 (TV show)
Military Prosecutor Doberman season 1 (TV show)
Mouse season 1 (TV show)
The Heavenly Idol season 1 (TV show)
The Killer’s Shopping List season 1 (TV show)
Touch Your Heart season 1 (TV show)
Arriving on June 30
XXX: The Return of Xander Cage (movie)
Rings (movie)
Key Takeaways
- Prime Video’s June 2025 lineup features “Deep Cover” as the standout release alongside crime thriller “Countdown” and motorsports documentary content.
- Original content premieres include “The Orkney Assassin” documentary on June 8th and the series “We Were Liars” on June 18th.
- The service offers a well-balanced content mix spanning multiple genres to compete effectively against other streaming platforms during the summer season.
Major Movie Premieres on Prime Video in June 2025
June brings an exciting lineup of films to Prime Video with a mix of action-packed blockbusters, thought-provoking independents, and international gems. Subscribers can enjoy these new releases with limited advertisements or opt for the ad-free add-on for an uninterrupted viewing experience.
Highly Anticipated New Releases
Deep Cover stands as the most anticipated action comedy coming to Prime Video this June. The film stars Ryan Reynolds and Zendaya as unlikely partners forced to work together in a high-stakes undercover operation.
“Murder Behind the Mask” premieres on June 21st, bringing a suspenseful murder mystery that critics have praised for its unpredictable plot twists and strong performances.
“We Were Liars,” based on the bestselling novel, arrives mid-month with its haunting tale of family secrets and tragedy. The adaptation stays faithful to the book’s shocking revelations while adding visual depth to the emotional story.
Amazon Prime Video also debuts “The Last Chance,” a romantic drama featuring Emma Stone and John Boyega as former lovers who reconnect after ten years apart.
Blockbuster Sequels and Franchises
The “Fallout” universe expands with a new feature-length spinoff film tied to the successful series. Set in a different vault than the show, it explores new territory within the post-apocalyptic world.
“Spider-Noir: Shadows of the Past” brings the popular character to life in an animated feature. This stylish black-and-white adventure pays homage to classic film noir while adding superhero elements.
Action fans can look forward to the third installment of the “Extraction” franchise, with Chris Hemsworth returning as Tyler Rake for another impossible mission.
Prime Original Franchises in June:
- Fallout: New Beginnings
- Spider-Noir: Shadows of the Past
- Extraction 3
- The Tomorrow War: Resistance
Acclaimed Independent Films
“The Quiet Hours,” winner of the Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Prize, makes its streaming debut exclusively on Prime Video. This intimate portrait of a family dealing with loss has been praised for its nuanced performances and realistic dialogue.
“Brushstrokes,” a biopic about fictional painter Eleanor Walsh, showcases stunning visual cinematography and a career-defining performance from its lead actress.
Documentary lovers will appreciate “The Orkney Assassin: Murder in the Isles,” arriving June 8th. This feature-length investigation delves into a mysterious cold case that haunted a small Scottish community for decades.
“Small Town Secrets” rounds out the indie offerings with its darkly comic look at suburban life and the hidden stories behind picket fences.
International Cinema Highlights
French thriller “La Dernière Chance” (The Last Chance) arrives with English subtitles and has already generated award buzz for its tightly wound plot and atmospheric direction.
From South Korea comes “Silent River,” a visually stunning drama about family bonds that transcend generations. Critics have compared its emotional impact to “Parasite” and “Minari.”
Bollywood hit “Dance of Destiny” brings colorful musical numbers and a heartwarming story about following dreams against all odds.
Spanish horror film “El Bosque Oscuro” (The Dark Forest) offers Prime subscribers a terrifying journey through supernatural folklore that will appeal to fans of psychological horror.
TV Shows Arriving on Amazon Prime Video This June
Prime Video’s June 2025 lineup features a mix of thrilling originals, returning favorites, and compelling documentaries. Subscribers can look forward to several high-profile premieres and international content that showcases diverse storytelling from around the world.
Original Series Premieres
Deep Cover tops the list of new originals this month, a spy thriller starring Michael Keaton as a retired intelligence officer pulled back into service. The eight-episode series debuts on June 5th.
We Were Liars arrives on June 12th, based on the bestselling novel by E. Lockhart. This teen mystery drama follows the wealthy Sinclair family and the dark secrets that emerge during their summer reunions.
Countdown premieres June 18th, a sci-fi limited series where characters discover they know exactly when they’ll die. The show explores how this knowledge transforms their remaining days.
Off-Campus, a college-set comedy from the creators of “The Boys,” debuts June 24th. The series follows four roommates navigating the chaos of university life with unexpected supernatural elements.
Returning Fan Favorites
The Terminal List returns for its highly anticipated second season on June 8th. Chris Pratt reprises his role as James Reece, continuing his quest for justice while uncovering new conspiracies.
The Boys continues its sixth season with weekly episodes throughout June. The irreverent superhero series maintains its sharp social commentary and explosive action sequences.
Fallout delivers its mid-season return on June 15th, picking up after the shocking cliffhanger from the spring finale. New episodes will explore more of the post-apocalyptic wasteland and its complex factions.
Young Sherlock brings its second season on June 29th, with the teenage detective tackling increasingly dangerous cases while developing his iconic deductive methods.
Highly Rated Documentaries and Docuseries
Octopus! makes its Prime Video debut on June 3rd after earning acclaim at film festivals. This nature documentary explores the remarkable intelligence and adaptive abilities of these fascinating creatures.
The Silicon Valley Revolution arrives June 10th, a four-part docuseries examining the tech industry’s evolution and impact on society. Each episode focuses on a different era from the 1970s to present day.
Play Dirty: The NFL Exposed premieres June 17th, offering an investigative look at controversial practices within professional football. The three-part series features interviews with players, coaches, and medical experts.
The Last Summit debuts June 22nd, following a team of climbers attempting to scale K2 during what climate scientists predict may be the final decade the peak remains climbable due to changing conditions.
New Seasons from International Markets
The Man with the Bag, a popular Spanish thriller, brings its third season on June 7th. The heist drama continues to follow its charismatic crew as they plan their most ambitious job yet.
Blade Runner 2099 debuts new episodes weekly starting June 14th. This UK-Japanese co-production expands the iconic sci-fi universe with stunning visuals and complex ethical questions.
From India comes the second season of Delhi Crime Files on June 20th, continuing the gritty police procedural based on real cases that captivated audiences worldwide.
Motorheads, an Australian comedy about vintage car enthusiasts, premieres its final season on June 27th. The show brings its blend of humor and heart to a satisfying conclusion for fans.
Genre Highlights: Animation, Anime, and More
Prime Video’s June lineup brings an exciting array of animated content, anime additions, and regional language programming that caters to diverse viewer preferences. Animation fans, anime enthusiasts, and regional language content seekers will find plenty to enjoy this month.
Top Animation and Family Picks
Prime Video’s animation slate for June 2025 features a notable addition with “Masters of the Universe“ arriving on the platform. This classic animated series brings He-Man and his battles against Skeletor to a new generation of viewers while satisfying nostalgic fans of the original show.
For family viewing, the critically acclaimed “Pixie Woods: The Great Adventure” debuts as a Prime Original animated film. The movie follows a group of magical forest creatures defending their home from environmental threats.
Other animated arrivals include:
- “Robot Dreams” – The award-winning adaptation of the graphic novel
- “Paws of Fury: The Legend Continues” – The sequel to the popular animated martial arts comedy
- “Cloud Racers” – A new series about flying vehicle competitions in a futuristic world
Parents will appreciate the addition of educational content like “Science Explorers Club“ which makes learning fun through animated adventures.
Must-Watch Anime Arrivals
Anime fans have plenty to look forward to on Prime Video this June. The platform continues expanding its anime collection with both classic series and fresh seasonal offerings.
The highly anticipated “Midnight Blade“ makes its exclusive streaming debut, bringing its unique blend of supernatural elements and samurai action. All 24 episodes of the first season will be available at once.
Classic anime series getting added to the library include:
- “Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex” (Complete Series)
- “Cowboy Bebop” (All Episodes)
- “Attack on Titan” (Final Season)
For mecha enthusiasts, “Neo Genesis: Uprising” arrives with its tale of futuristic robot battles. Romance anime fans can enjoy “Cherry Blossom Promises”, a heartwarming high school drama series.
Prime is also adding several anime films including the visually stunning “Ocean of Stars” and the action-packed “Demon Hunter Chronicles”.
Hindi and Regional Language Highlights
Prime Video strengthens its regional content library this June with several notable Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu additions.
In Hindi cinema, the critically acclaimed drama “Awaaz” makes its streaming debut after its successful theatrical run. The film explores social issues through the story of a rural journalist fighting corruption.
Popular regional titles coming to the platform:
- “Veerangana” – An action thriller in Tamil starring leading actress Nayanthara
- “Prayana” – A Telugu family drama with an ensemble cast
- “Chaukat” – A Marathi coming-of-age story set in rural Maharashtra
The platform also adds the much-anticipated second season of “Family Stars”, a Hindi-language comedy series about a dysfunctional but loving joint family. All 10 episodes will be available for binge-watching.
For documentary fans, “Rivers of India” presents a visually stunning exploration of the country’s major waterways with narration in five regional languages alongside English.
How Prime Video in June 2025 Compares to Other Streaming Services
Prime Video’s June 2025 lineup showcases significant competitive advantages in content variety and subscription value compared to other major platforms, while also introducing new membership options that address recent customer concerns about advertising.
Prime Video vs Netflix and Disney+
Prime Video enters June 2025 with the largest movie catalog compared to rivals, making it an attractive option for film enthusiasts. The platform plans to add over 50 new Prime-exclusive titles in June alone, including the highly anticipated action comedy “Deep Cover” and crime thriller series “Countdown.”
Netflix continues to dominate in original series production but offers fewer new theatrical releases than Prime. Their June lineup focuses heavily on international content, with fewer blockbuster additions compared to Prime’s slate.
Disney+ maintains its stronghold on family content and franchise properties, but lacks the diverse adult-oriented selection found in Prime’s June catalog. The motorsports documentary arriving on Prime will directly compete with Disney’s sports content expansion through ESPN+.
For viewers prioritizing content variety and new releases, Prime Video’s June lineup provides exceptional value, especially considering it comes bundled with other Prime benefits.
Features Compared: Ad-Free Options and New Membership Plans
Prime Video introduced a significant change to its service model in early 2025, now including ads in its default streaming version. Users can opt for an ad-free experience by paying an additional $3 monthly fee.
This pricing structure positions Prime Video favorably against competitors:
| Service | Base Price | Ad-Free Option | Total Ad-Free Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prime Video | Included with Prime | +$3/month | $14.99 (Prime) + $3 |
| Netflix | $11.99 (Basic) | Included in higher tiers | $15.49-$22.99 |
| Disney+ | $9.99 (With ads) | $13.99/month | $13.99 |
The new membership tiers introduced in May 2025 will continue through June, offering more flexible options for accessing Prime Video’s content. These include a standalone video-only subscription that doesn’t require a full Prime membership.
Customer response to the ad implementation has been mixed, with some users noting that Prime Video’s ad breaks are shorter than those on competitors’ platforms.
Prime Membership Benefits and Support
Prime Video remains unique among streaming services as it’s essentially a bonus added to Amazon’s free shipping service. This bundling continues to provide exceptional value for regular Amazon shoppers.
The complete Prime membership includes numerous benefits beyond streaming:
- Free expedited shipping
- Prime Music access (limited catalog)
- Prime Reading
- Prime Gaming
- Exclusive shopping events
Amazon has enhanced its customer support for Prime Video issues following feedback from May 2025. Members can now request prorated refunds for service interruptions directly through the app.
Technical improvements implemented in late May will carry over to June, including enhanced mobile streaming quality and improved integration with MX Player for Android users in select markets.
For those who use Prime Video primarily for its included content rather than rentals or purchases, the June 2025 lineup significantly strengthens the overall value proposition of a Prime membership.
Frequently Asked Questions
Prime Video subscribers have many questions about the upcoming June 2025 lineup. The streaming service will add several new movies, TV series, and exclusive content while some titles will leave the platform.
What are the new movie releases on Prime Video for June 2025?
Prime Video will add several exciting movies in June 2025. The action comedy Deep Cover starring Bryce Dallas Howard will arrive on June 12th.
The adaptation of the popular novel We Were Liars will also be available for streaming this month.
Prime Video will continue expanding its collection with more titles throughout June, giving subscribers plenty of new content to enjoy.
Which TV series will premiere on Prime Video in June 2025?
Several anticipated TV series will premiere on Prime Video in June. The platform is preparing to release new episodes of existing shows and introduce brand new series.
Subscribers can look forward to the continued rollout of Fallout content, which has been a major hit for the streaming service.
The lineup also includes progress on other series like Blade Runner 2099, Young Sherlock, and Off-Campus coming to the platform.
Are there any Prime Video exclusive titles arriving in June 2025?
Yes, Prime Video will release several exclusive titles in June 2025. These original productions are only available to Prime Video subscribers.
The platform continues to invest in exclusive content like The Man with the Bag and Play Dirty as mentioned in their upcoming lineup announcement.
These exclusives help Prime Video compete with other streaming services by offering unique content not available elsewhere.
What titles are leaving Prime Video at the end of May 2025?
Several titles will leave Prime Video at the end of May 2025. Subscribers should check the “leaving soon” section on their Prime Video app to catch these titles before they disappear.
The platform typically refreshes its content library each month, removing some titles while adding others.
To avoid disappointment, viewers should prioritize watching any departing favorites before the end of May.
How can subscribers find the latest additions to Prime Video’s library for June 2025?
Subscribers can find new additions in several ways. The Prime Video home screen typically highlights new and upcoming releases in a dedicated section.
Users can also visit the Prime Video subreddit where fans discuss upcoming releases and share information about new content.
The official Prime Video social media accounts and website also provide regular updates on new additions to the library.
Will any of the content coming to Prime Video in June 2025 be available in 4K UHD?
Yes, many new releases on Prime Video in June 2025 will be available in 4K Ultra High Definition. Prime Video continues to expand its 4K content library with each release cycle.
Most Prime Original movies and series are produced in 4K, providing subscribers with the highest quality viewing experience possible.
Viewers will need compatible 4K devices and sufficient internet bandwidth to stream content in this high resolution format.
College Sports
IU basketball recruiting
Indiana continued to expand its list of targets in the 2026 class with an offer to center Collins Onyejiaka. He reported the offer Friday afternoon on his social media pages. The 6-foot-10 and 270-pound Onyejiaka is a 4-star at 247Sports, and the No. 6 overall center in the class according to that outlet. Onyejiaka is […]
Indiana continued to expand its list of targets in the 2026 class with an offer to center Collins Onyejiaka.
He reported the offer Friday afternoon on his social media pages.
The 6-foot-10 and 270-pound Onyejiaka is a 4-star at 247Sports, and the No. 6 overall center in the class according to that outlet.
Onyejiaka is a product of Nigeria. Playing for Newman H.S. in Boston, he averaged 9.5 points, 7.9 rebounds and 2.7 blocks as a high school junior.
247Sports national analyst Dushawn London wrote this about him as that outlet moved him up 23 spots in the rankings in January:
“One of the most physically imposing big men in his class. Standing at 6-foot-10 and weighing 270 pounds, Onyejiaka combines his size and strength to dominate on both ends of the court. The aggressive rebounder excels at securing boards and controlling the paint with his size. Offensively, he’s powerful finisher who plays with a high motor. Defensively, he doesn’t give up on plays and is a shot-blocking threat.”
For spring and summer basketball, Onyejiaka plays for the New England Basketball Club on the Made Hoops Circuit.
Onyejiaka also has offers from Alabama, Illinois, Providence, Ole Miss, Georgetown, Iowa and West Virginia.
For a complete recap of Indiana’s 2026 through 2028 offers and targets, GO HERE.
For all of our IU basketball recruiting coverage, GO HERE.
The Daily Hoosier –“Where Indiana fans assemble when they’re not at Assembly”
Related
College Sports
BLACK WATCH
Source: George Kraychyk / hulu Black Watch is back with the team’s advice on where to navigate on your remote and hit “play” for some hearty weekend viewing. This week’s selections include a potential look at the future of America, some throwback NBA (and Olympic) basketball, and more Whether it’s documentaries, cult classic shows, or movies newly […]
Black Watch is back with the team’s advice on where to navigate on your remote and hit “play” for some hearty weekend viewing. This week’s selections include a potential look at the future of America, some throwback NBA (and Olympic) basketball, and more
Big Mouth – Netflix
The final season of Big Mouth is officially here on Netflix, and I’m lowkey in my feelings. This has been my comfort show for years. I can rewatch every season and still laugh like it’s my first time. In case you’re late to the party, this show follows a group of pre-teens navigating the chaos of puberty with the help of their assigned “Hormone Monsters”—wild, unfiltered creatures only they can see. It’s a cartoon, but trust me, it is not for kids. It’s super raunchy, but honestly, pretty spot-on when it comes to the wild thoughts teens really have. You’ll definitely crack up at Connie, the Hormone Monstress (voiced by Maya Rudolph) ,who in my opinion, makes the show. The kids are diverse and hilarious in their own right, especially Missy Foreman-Greenwald (voiced by Ayo Edebiri), a biracial girl in their crew who once tried getting cornrows to connect with her Black cousins. This final season wraps up their puberty journey as they get settled in high school.—Alexis Felder
We Beat The Dream Team – HBO Max
Sports documentaries on major events and much-talked-about controversies are all well and good, but ESPN really gets in its bag when it comes to niche rumors that require proper investigative storytelling. Now, they’ve done it again with We Beat The Dream Team which tells the tale of how a bunch of college kids like Chris Webber, Grant Hill, Penny Hardaway, and Allan Houston served as a practice squad tasked with making sure the Dream Team were up to snuff and ready to represent the USA at the 1992 Olympics. Narrated by Hill, we hear the story of how the collegiate squad beat a team led by Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, and Larry Bird in the first scrimmage, with some hazy truths that even Coach K refuses to corroborate 30 years later.
Watch We Beat The Dream Team on HBO Max now. —Bruce Goodwin II
The Handmaid’s Tale — Hulu
The Handmaid’s Tale is a television adaptation of Margaret Atwood’s 1985 novel of the same name. The show stars Elisabeth Moss as June Osborne/Offred, the show’s central narrator. Much of the show takes place in Gilead, a secessionist version of America ruled by Commanders who employ “handmaidens” to bear them and their spouses’ children after much of the world is unable to produce children due to pollution and other factors. The show gained high marks for its strong acting, dark but realistic premise, and the adventures of June and her journey in rejoining her family in freedom under an oppressive patriarchal system. Starring alongside Moss are O-T Fagbenle as Luke Bankole, June’s husband, and Samira Wiley as Moira Stand, June’s best friend. The show also stars Amanda Brugel, Amanda Brugel, and Zawe Ashton.
Watch The Handmaid’sTale on Hulu and Disney+.—D.L. Chandler
College Sports
Everything Coming to Tubi in June 2025
Tubi is gearing up for an exciting June 2025 lineup that will add hours of free entertainment to your summer watchlist. The streaming service will offer a mix of blockbuster movies like “Get Out” and “Moonlight,” along with fan-favorite TV series including Seasons 3 and 4 of “Community” and “All In The Family.” Films spanning […]
Tubi is gearing up for an exciting June 2025 lineup that will add hours of free entertainment to your summer watchlist. The streaming service will offer a mix of blockbuster movies like “Get Out” and “Moonlight,” along with fan-favorite TV series including Seasons 3 and 4 of “Community” and “All In The Family.” Films spanning various genres will join the platform, from the musical drama “Burlesque” to action-packed titles like “Fury” and “Aquaman And The Lost Kingdom.”
For TV enthusiasts, June brings fresh content with several complete seasons of popular shows. Viewers can look forward to binging “Double Cross,” “Growing Up,” and the quirky British comedy “Cuckoo” without spending a dime. Tubi continues to expand its free streaming library, making it a worthy alternative to paid subscription services.
What’s New On Tubi in June 2025
Tubi’s June 2025 lineup is its most diverse and ambitious yet, blending blockbuster hits, cult favorites, acclaimed dramas, sharp comedies, classic television, and new original content into one massive free streaming experience. From deep dives into high-profile trials to Western standoffs and retro throwbacks, there’s something for every viewer in this month’s additions. Whether you’re in the mood for horror, action, art house gems, or binge-worthy series, Tubi is proving once again that free doesn’t mean limited.
Tubi Originals – June Premieres
TMZ Presents: United States V. Sean Combs – Inside the Diddy Trial (June 6 & 13)
This two-part investigative docuseries dives into the evolving legal saga of Sean “Diddy” Combs. Combining exclusive access, expert commentary, and real-time updates, it explores the cultural weight and behind-the-scenes drama of one of the most watched trials of the year.
TKO (June 20)
In this gripping sports thriller, a former boxing champ reconnects with his estranged sons only to be pulled into the ring again—this time as a coach and father. TKO blends family redemption with adrenaline-pumping fight sequences.
Day of Reckoning (June 13)
A gritty Western where a corrupt marshal and a small-town sheriff use a notorious outlaw’s wife as bait. A deadly standoff looms, setting the stage for a violent reckoning.
Spotlight Series Coming in June
Tubi continues to expand its deep television catalog with a wave of acclaimed series:
- All in the Family (Seasons 3–4)
- Community (Seasons 3–4)
- Homicide: Life on the Street
- Murder, She Wrote (Original and 1997 continuation)
- MacGyver (1985)
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1987)
- Roots
- Growing Up Hip Hop (All franchises)
- Then You Run
- Cuckoo
- Double Cross
- Hustle & Soul
Movie Highlights by Genre
Action & Thrillers
From military blockbusters to sleek assassins, June’s action lineup is packed:
- Kong: Skull Island
- Taken Trilogy (Taken, Taken 2, Taken 3)
- White House Down
- Lone Survivor
- Run All Night
- Ninja Assassin
- Blue Beetle
- Battleship
- Jet Li’s Fearless
- Shooter
- Raw Deal
- Under Siege & Under Siege 2
- In the Line of Fire
- Nightcrawler (June 10)
- 88 Minutes
- Phone Booth
- Jackie Brown
- Joy Ride
- The Tutor (June 30)
- The Devil’s Trap (June 9)
- Last Survivors (June 5)
- Cold Wallet (June 28)
- Haunted Heart (June 23)
Horror & Supernatural
Chilling stories, supernatural terror, and cult classics fill out a robust horror slate:
- Get Out
- Hereditary
- Friday the 13th (1980)
- La Llorona
- Texas Chainsaw 3D
- Gremlins & Gremlins 2
- Stephen King’s Cat’s Eye
- Piranha 3D
- Brahms: The Boy II
- Frozen
- Alone in the Dark
- House on Haunted Hill
- Deadstream
- The Djinn
- The First Purge
- The Purge
- The Purge: Anarchy
- Hannibal Rising
- Little Shop of Horrors (1986)
- Mom and Dad
Comedy & Family
Laughs for all ages, from raunchy to wholesome:
- Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
- Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy
- Talladega Nights
- Jackass Number Two
- The Other Guys
- White Chicks
- Overboard (1987 & 2018)
- The Wedding Ringer
- Stand Up Guys
- Welcome to the Jungle
- A Knight’s Tale
- 50/50
- Daddy Day Care
- From Prada to Nada
- Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
- Open Season 3
- Open Season: Scared Silly
- The Karate Kid (2010)
- The NeverEnding Story
- Panda Plan
- Puss in Boots
- Secondhand Lions
- The Great Gilly Hopkins
Black Cinema & Urban Stories
A standout collection honoring Black voices across drama, comedy, and music:
- Love & Basketball
- Waiting to Exhale
- Set It Off
- Soul Food
- Stomp the Yard & Stomp the Yard: Homecoming
- What’s Love Got to Do With It
- You Got Served
- B.A.P.S.
- Big Momma’s House (Trilogy)
- Madea’s Witness Protection
- Frankie & Alice
- Hustle & Flow
- Superfly
- Love Don’t Cost a Thing
- Nobody’s Fool (2018)
- John Henry
Sci-Fi & Fantasy
Explore far-off worlds and speculative futures:
- Aquaman (2018)
- Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom
- Elysium
- Demolition Man
- Jumper
- Love and Monsters
- Pixels
- Clash of the Titans (1981)
- Divergent
- The Girl with All the Gifts
- Independence Day (June 15)
Art House & Prestige Drama
Critically acclaimed and emotionally resonant, this section is a cinephile’s dream:
- Moonlight
- The Worst Person in the World (June 13)
- Swiss Army Man
- The Spectacular Now
- Columbus
- Little Fish (2020)
- Phoenix (2014)
- Certain Women
- Clouds of Sils Maria
- The Inspection
- Mary Magdalene
- The Standoff at Sparrow Creek
- Personal Shopper
Drama & Biography
Real-life stories and character-driven narratives:
- Malcolm X
- Burlesque
- Free State of Jones
- Miss Sloane
- Gimme Shelter
- Fury
- Stonewall (2015)
- White Boy Rick
- The Right Stuff
- You Can Live Forever
- Chariots of Fire
Westerns
Classic and modern tales of justice, revenge, and frontier life:
- Day of Reckoning (June 13)
- Ballad of Davy Crockett
- Wild Horses
- The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada
June 2025 Streaming Calendar on Tubi
| Date | Titles/Events |
|---|---|
| June 1 | Launch of core movie collection (Get Out, Ferris Bueller, Taken trilogy, etc.) |
| June 5 | Last Survivors |
| June 6 | TMZ Presents: United States V. Sean Combs – Part 1 |
| June 9 | The Devil’s Trap |
| June 10 | Nightcrawler |
| June 13 | Day of Reckoning, The Worst Person in the World, TMZ Part 2 |
| June 15 | Independence Day |
| June 20 | TKO (Original Film Premiere) |
| June 23 | Haunted Heart |
| June 28 | Cold Wallet |
| June 30 | The Tutor |
Tubi is making a serious case this month that it’s the best value in streaming, with an offering that rivals paid services in both depth and quality. With brand-new originals, major movie franchises, iconic TV, and under-the-radar gems—all entirely free—June 2025 is the perfect time to explore what Tubi has to offer.
Tubi June 2025 Calendar
All titles below begin streaming for free on June 1 unless otherwise noted:
Originals
Docuseries
TMZ PRESENTS: UNITED STATES V. SEAN COMBS: INSIDE THE DIDDY TRIAL
TMZ brings you exclusive reporting on all the latest developments & drama behind the scenes from the trial of Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs. New episodes on 6/6 + 6/13.
Thriller
TKO (6/20)
After reuniting with his estranged sons, a former boxer must step up as a father and a coach when his oldest begins competing in professional boxing.
Western
DAY OF RECKONING (6/13):
A small-town sheriff and a corrupt U.S. Marshal hold a violent outlaw’s wife hostage in order to lure him into a showdown.
Series Spotlight
“All In The Family (1971)” – Seasons 3 & 4
“Community” – Seasons 3 & 4
“Cuckoo”
“Double Cross”
“Growing Up Hip Hop” – Seasons 1-6
“Growing Up Hip Hop: Atlanta”
“Growing Up Hip Hop: New York”
“Homicide: Life On The Street”
“Hustle & Soul”
“Macgyver (1985)”
“Murder, She Wrote (1984)”
“Murder, She Wrote (1997)”
“Roots”
“Then You Run”
“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1987)”
Action
“Battleship”
“Big Trouble In Little China”
“Blue Beetle”
“Get Fast”
“Jet Li’s Fearless”
“Kong: Skull Island”
“Lone Survivor”
“Moonfall”
“Ninja Assassin”
“Raw Deal”
“Red 2”
“Run All Night”
“Shooter”
“Taken (2008)”
“Taken 2”
“Taken 3”
“Under Siege”
“Under Siege 2: Dark Territory”
“White House Down”
Art House
“Certain Women”
“Clouds Of Sils Maria”
“Columbus”
“Little Fish (2020)”
“Mary Magdalene”
“Moonlight”
“Personal Shopper”
“Phoenix (2014)”
“Swiss Army Man”
“The Inspection”
“The Spectacular Now”
“The Standoff At Sparrow Creek”
“The Worst Person In The World” -6/13
Black Cinema
“1982”
“B.A.P.S.”
“Baggage Claim”
“Big Momma’s House”
“Big Momma’s House 2”
“Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son”
“Double Cross”
“Frankie & Alice”
“Hustle & Flow”
“Hustle & Soul”
“John Henry”
“Love & Basketball”
“Love Don’t Cost A Thing”
“Madea’s Witness Protection”
“Nobody’s Fool (2018)”
“Set It Off”
“Soul Food”
“Stomp The Yard”
“Stomp The Yard Homecoming”
“Superfly”
“Waiting To Exhale “
“What’s Love Got To Do With It”
“White Chicks”
“You Got Served”
Comedy
“50/50”
“A Knight’s Tale”
“Anchorman: The Legend Of Ron Burgundy”
“Daddy Day Care”
“Date And Switch”
“Deadstream”
“Delivery Man”
“Ferris Bueller’s Day Off”
“From Prada To Nada”
“Jackass Number Two”
“Little Shop Of Horrors (1986)”
“Mom And Dad”
“Overboard (1987)”
“Overboard (2018)”
“Stand Up Guys”
“Talladega Nights: The Ballad Of Ricky Bobby
“The Men Who Stare At Goats”
“The Other Guys”
“The Wedding Ringer”
“Welcome To The Jungle”
Documentary
“Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy”
“The Seven Five”
“The Thin Blue Line”
Drama
“Burlesque”
“Chariots Of Fire”
“Delivery Man”
“Frankie & Alice”
“Free State Of Jones”
“Fury”
“Gimme Shelter”
“Lone Survivor”
“Malcolm X”
“Miss Sloane”
“Roots”
“Stonewall (2015)”
“The Right Stuff”
“What’s Love Got To Do With It”
“White Boy Rick
“You Can Live Forever”
Horror
“Alone In The Dark”
“Brahms: The Boy II”
“Deadstream”
“Friday The 13th (1980)”
“Frozen”
“Get Out”
“Gremlins”
“Gremlins 2: The New Batch”
“Hannibal Rising”
“Hereditary”
“House On Haunted Hill”
“Jaws”
“La Llorona”
“Leatherface”
“Little Shop Of Horrors (1986)”
“Mom And Dad”
“Piranha 3-D”
“Stephen King’s Cat’s Eye”
“Texas Chainsaw 3D”
“The Djinn”
“The First Purge”
“The Lodge”
“The Purge”
“The Purge: Anarchy”
Kids & Family
“Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs”
“Daddy Day Care”
“Open Season 3”
“Open Season: Scared Silly”
“Panda Plan”
“Puss In Boots”
“Secondhand Lions”
“The Great Gilly Hopkins”
“The Karate Kid (2010)”
“The Neverending Story”
Sci-Fi & Fantasy
“Aquaman (2018)”
“Aquaman And The Lost Kingdom”
“Clash Of The Titans (1981)”
“Demolition Man”
“Divergent”
“Elysium”
“Girl With All The Gifts”
“Independence Day” – 6/15
“Jumper”
“Love And Monsters”
“Pixels”
Thriller
“88 Minutes”
“A Walk Among The Tombstones”
“Cleaner”
“Cold Wallet” -6/28
“Haunted Heart” -6/23
“Homicide: Life On The Street”
“In The Line Of Fire”
“Jackie Brown”
“Joy Ride”
“Last Survivors” -6/5
“Nightcrawler” -6/10
“No Good Deed (2014)”
“Phone Booth”
“The Devil’s Trap” -6/9
“The Impossible”
“The Specialist”
“The Tutor” -6/30
“Then You Run”
Western
“Ballad Of Davy Crockett”
“The Three Burials Of Melquiades Estrada”
“Wild Horses”
Key Takeaways
- Tubi’s June 2025 lineup features award-winning films including Jordan Peele’s “Get Out” and Best Picture winner “Moonlight.”
- Popular TV series joining the platform include Seasons 3 and 4 of “Community” and classic sitcom “All In The Family.”
- Action movie fans can stream titles like “Fury,” “Free State of Jones,” and “Aquaman And The Lost Kingdom” completely free.
New Movies Coming to Tubi in June 2025
Tubi’s lineup for June 2025 includes an impressive selection of free movies across various genres. Several acclaimed films and family favorites will be available for viewers to enjoy without subscription fees.
Blockbuster Premieres
Tubi is adding some notable hits to its streaming platform this June. Jordan Peele’s critically acclaimed thriller Get Out will be available to stream for free, bringing its unique blend of horror and social commentary to viewers.
Oscar-winning film Moonlight is also joining the lineup. This Best Picture winner tells a powerful coming-of-age story that has resonated with audiences worldwide.
Action fans can look forward to Fury, the intense World War II drama starring Brad Pitt. The historical drama Free State of Jones featuring Matthew McConaughey will also be available.
For music and dance enthusiasts, Burlesque starring Christina Aguilera and Cher makes its way to the platform.
Family and Kids Films
June brings several family-friendly options to Tubi’s free streaming service. Parents and children can enjoy Delivery Man, the heartwarming comedy starring Vince Vaughn as a man who discovers he’s the biological father to hundreds of children.
The inspirational sports drama Chariots of Fire will be available, perfect for family movie nights. This Academy Award-winning film tells the story of two athletes competing in the 1924 Olympics.
Tubi continues to expand its kids and family section with titles that appeal to viewers of all ages. These additions reinforce the platform’s commitment to providing diverse content options without subscription costs.
All these titles will begin streaming on June 1, 2025, unless otherwise specified by the streaming platform.
Fresh TV Shows Arriving on Tubi
Tubi’s June 2025 lineup brings an exciting mix of brand-new exclusive content and beloved returning series to the free streaming service. Viewers can enjoy both original productions and additional seasons of fan-favorite shows without any subscription fees.
Exclusive Series Debuts
Tubi is expanding its original content with several new exclusive series this June. “Double Cross” heads the list of new arrivals, bringing intense drama to the platform. This crime thriller follows twin siblings who take justice into their own hands.
“Growing Up” also joins the lineup, offering viewers a coming-of-age documentary series that explores the challenges of adolescence through diverse perspectives. The series takes an intimate look at teenage experiences across different backgrounds.
The streaming service continues to diversify its content with “Cuckoo,” a British comedy series starring Andy Samberg that was previously unavailable on free platforms in the US. This quirky show follows a family whose lives are turned upside down when their daughter returns from a gap year with an unexpected husband.
Returning Favorites
Comedy fans will be thrilled to see additional seasons of beloved sitcoms joining Tubi in June. Seasons 3 and 4 of “Community” arrive, bringing more adventures from Greendale Community College. These critically acclaimed seasons include fan-favorite episodes like “Remedial Chaos Theory” and “Documentary Filmmaking: Redux.”
The classic sitcom “All in the Family” also expands its presence with Seasons 3 and 4. These seasons from 1971 continue to showcase Archie Bunker’s controversial viewpoints and the social commentary that made the show groundbreaking.
Both additions enhance Tubi’s user experience by providing more complete series collections. The streaming service continues to build its TV catalog with quality content that appeals to various audiences, all while maintaining its commitment to free, ad-supported streaming.
Special Sports Programming in June 2025
Tubi is expanding its sports content this June with an impressive lineup of live events and original documentaries. Sports fans can enjoy free access to exclusive programming including the anticipated “Destination World Cup” docuseries.
Live Sports Events
Tubi’s sports streaming service will feature several notable live events in June 2025. The platform will broadcast select qualifying matches for upcoming international tournaments, giving viewers access to competitive sports without subscription fees.
Weekend coverage includes regional basketball tournaments and extreme sports competitions. These events will be available with expert commentary and multiple camera angles for an enhanced viewing experience.
Tubi has also secured rights to stream classic boxing matches every Friday night. The “Friday Night Fights” segment will showcase legendary bouts from the past three decades.
For racing enthusiasts, Tubi will offer special coverage of motorsports events, including highlights from international circuits and exclusive behind-the-scenes content.
Sports Documentaries and Specials
The highlight of June’s sports documentaries is the premiere of Tubi’s original docuseries “Destination World Cup”. This series follows national teams as they prepare for the upcoming global tournament, featuring exclusive interviews with players and coaches.
“Culture of Sports Programming” returns with new episodes exploring the intersection of athletics and society. The series examines how sports influence cultural movements across different communities.
Tubi will also add several critically acclaimed sports films to its library, including:
- “Underdogs: The Championship Run” (2023)
- “Beyond the Buzzer: Basketball Legends” (2024)
- “Final Lap: Racing Dynasties” (2022)
The streaming service continues its commitment to diverse sports content with “Women in Sports: Breaking Barriers,” a special highlighting female athletes who changed their respective sports forever.
Vintage documentaries from the early 2000s will also join the lineup, giving viewers a nostalgic look at sports history through a different lens.
Frequently Asked Questions
Tubi’s June 2025 lineup brings exciting new content across multiple genres with both original productions and popular titles from other studios. Many viewers have questions about what to expect in the coming month.
What new movies will premiere on Tubi in June 2025?
Tubi will premiere several movies in June 2025, including critically acclaimed titles. Viewers can look forward to The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada and Wild Horses.
Jordan Peele’s hit thriller Get Out will also be available for free streaming in June. This Academy Award-winning film joins Tubi’s growing collection of horror and thriller content.
The classic Disney film Ballad of Davy Crockett will also arrive, providing family-friendly viewing options for the summer months.
Can you list the full schedule of releases on Tubi for June 2025?
Most titles on Tubi’s June 2025 lineup will begin streaming on June 1, though some releases may be scheduled throughout the month.
The platform typically adds content gradually, with major titles highlighted at the beginning of the month. Tubi has announced that all titles will be available for free as part of their ad-supported model.
Complete release schedules are typically published on Tubi’s corporate website as the month approaches, with possible updates throughout June.
Are there any exclusive series releasing on Tubi in June 2025?
Tubi will continue expanding its original content in June 2025. The platform will feature several exclusive series including Double Cross.
Tubi Originals are becoming an increasingly important part of the platform’s content strategy. These exclusive productions help differentiate Tubi from other free streaming services.
Additional details about new episodes and season premieres for Tubi Originals are expected to be announced closer to their release dates.
Will there be any continuation of popular shows on Tubi in June 2025?
Several popular series will continue or add seasons on Tubi in June 2025. The platform will add Seasons 3 and 4 of “Community”, expanding its collection of this beloved comedy series.
Classic television enthusiasts can enjoy Seasons 3 and 4 of “All In The Family”, the groundbreaking 1970s sitcom starring Carroll O’Connor.
The acclaimed police drama Homicide: Life on the Streets will also join Tubi’s library, bringing its realistic portrayal of Baltimore detectives to the platform.
What genres of content can we expect to see added to Tubi’s library in June 2025?
Tubi’s June 2025 additions span multiple genres to appeal to diverse viewer preferences. Drama fans will appreciate the addition of critically acclaimed films and series focused on complex character development.
Comedy content features prominently with sitcoms like “Community” and “All In The Family” joining the platform. These shows represent different eras of television comedy.
Family-friendly content like “Ballad of Davy Crockett” provides options for younger viewers or family movie nights. Tubi continues to balance adult-oriented content with all-ages programming.
How does Tubi’s June 2025 content lineup compare to other streaming platforms?
Tubi’s June 2025 lineup emphasizes its advantage as a free streaming service offering both original content and popular titles from other studios. Unlike subscription services, all content is available without monthly fees.
The platform focuses on a mix of nostalgic content like “All In The Family” alongside more recent hits like “Get Out” and “Community.” This strategy differentiates Tubi from competitors that may focus primarily on new releases.
While major subscription services might offer more exclusive premieres, Tubi’s growing collection of free movies and shows provides an attractive alternative for budget-conscious viewers looking for quality entertainment.
College Sports
Lindsay Theater to show Pittsburgh
Lindsay Theater to show Pittsburgh-based U.S. Open documentary ‘Steel Links’ We notice you’re using an ad blocker. Since the purpose of this site is to display digital ads, please disable your ad blocker to prevent content from breaking. Documentary ‘Steel Links’ will show at the Lindsay Theater and Cultural Center in Sewickley on June 8. […]
Documentary ‘Steel Links’ will show at the Lindsay Theater and Cultural Center in Sewickley on June 8.
As Oakmont Country Club prepares for the 2025 U.S. Open, all eyes in the golf world are on Southwestern Pennsylvania. WQED has produced new documentary, “Steel Links,” to bring together Pittsburgh’s industrial history, its legacy of golf and some of the city’s most iconic faces.
Brad Turkel, the creator and executive producer of “Steel Links,” has a history with combining sports with local storytelling.
“I’ve been creating and producing documentaries for several years, and I’ve always had a special interest in sports docs,” he said.
Last year, he produced a documentary about Pinehurst Resort, the North Carolina golf course where the U.S. Open was held.
“That was my first documentary that used a major sporting event as kind of a jumping-off point to discuss and to get into other subjects,” he said. “I really enjoyed that because it wasn’t just a ‘sports doc.’”
The success of this first project, which aired last year on PBS, was a template for future projects of its kind. “Steel Links” will premiere on WQED on June 10 — and will show at the Lindsay Theater on Sunday, June 8 and Monday, June 9.
“Steel Links” examines the connections between Oakmont, Pittsburgh, the steel industry and sports. The film includes former Steelers coach Bill Cowher, former Steeler Charlie Batch, rapper Wiz Khalifa, native Pittsburgher and former Pittsburgh Pirate Neil Walker and more. Walker will be at the screening at The Lindsay on June 8 for a post-show Q&A.
“If you’re interested in golf, there’s enough golf in there where it will be compelling to you,” Turkel said. “But I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised at the other direction it goes in. I think that for the broader audience, they’ll learn a little about golf that they might not have known, but they’re really going to be excited to discover the other stories that we unveil.”
Many of those stories revolve around Pittsburgh’s most famous industry.
“Kind of my North Star when I was developing the idea was I would look at the steel,” he said.
While Turkel is from Connecticut, his wife was born and raised in the region, a connection that remains strong wherever they go.
Upcoming Local Events
“I have been to Pittsburgh several times over the years. I feel very connected to Pittsburgh, and frankly, this is the first time that people in her family are finally interested in what I’m doing,” he laughed.
They filmed the documentary at Oakmont Country Club, where the U.S. Open will begin on June 12.
“The folks at Oakmont were very supportive of it,” he said. “And everyone that we dealt with — and I think it really speaks to how people feel about Pittsburgh — when they heard what we were doing, wanted to jump on board. And that’s unusual. I think that speaks to the city itself and the people from Pittsburgh, even if they moved away, you can’t take the Pittsburgh out of it.”
When you’re talking golf and Western Pennsylvania, you have to talk about golf legend Arnold Palmer. Turkel did say that Palmer’s story shows up in the doc, especially in segments with fellow golfer and Western Pennsylvanian Rocco Mediate.
“Steel Links” also includes conversation with Carol Semple Thompson, a Sewickley native and well-known golfer in her own right.
“We are thrilled to host the public premiere of WQED’s Steel Links. The film pays homage to this region’s industrial legacy, while also highlighting Pittsburgh’s rapidly growing profile as a tech-forward city with passions for culture and sports. Its particular focus on golf’s deep roots in Pittsburgh make it an ideal tailgating opportunity prior to the U.S. Open in Oakmont,” said Carolina Pais-Barreto Thor, CEO of The Lindsay Theater and Cultural Center.
After WQED posted a trailer for the new documentary, Turkel said that engagement online was overwhelming. “I think it really hit a nerve,” Turkel said.
“Steel Links” will show at The Lindsay Theater and Cultural Center in Sewickley on June 8 at 5 p.m. and June 9 at 7 p.m. For tickets and information, visit thelindsaytheater.org.
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