Venu Sports Is Dead: Disney, Warner Bros., and Fox Joint Streamer Will Not Go Forward

In May, Disney, Warner Bros., and Fox proposed an idea for a sports streaming service, which TopMob referred to as a “cable-less cable” creation. Essentially, what they intended with their jointly-owned streamer, known as Venu Sports, was to mimic cable television, but in an app format. They aimed to consolidate all of their sports content into this single platform, except for the NFL, which was out of reach. This idea seemed a bit far-fetched or absurd to many, including us. And it appears that our skepticism was shared by others. Unfortunately, before Venu Sports could even stream a game, it has been officially canceled and will not be launched. The Disney-Fox-Warner Bros. sports streaming app will remain unseen.

Here’s the explanation given by the companies regarding their choice to discontinue Venu Sports. In a communique, they disclosed:

(Note: I’ve used “disclose” instead of “share” to add more formal tone and varied language.)

Following thoughtful discussions, we’ve decided as a team that we won’t be moving forward with the launch of the Venu Sports streaming service. In an environment where market trends are constantly shifting, we believe it’s more strategic to cater to sports enthusiasts by strengthening our current offerings and distribution networks. We’re incredibly proud of the progress made on Venu so far, and we want to express our gratitude towards the Venu team during this transition phase, offering them our continued support.

Initially, Disney, Warner Bros. Discovery, and Fox appeared optimistic about Venu Sports. However, things changed dramatically as a judge issued an injunction to halt its launch at the last minute due to antitrust concerns raised by Fubo, another sports streaming service, stating that it could potentially reduce competition and restrict trade. This concern was not unfounded, as satellite operators DISH and DirecTV might have made similar complaints if Venu Sports had continued. The complexity of this bundle seems to have been its downfall, as it appeared to be encroaching on sports territory rather than functioning solely as a streaming network.

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Contrary to expectations, Disney and Fubo have resolved their differences independently, with Disney purchasing a 70% share in Fubo. This agreement comes at the cost of Fubo dismissing its Venu Sports lawsuit. With this deal, Fubo can now distribute its sports streaming services and also Hulu’s live-TV service, which is under Disney’s ownership.

Since Disney already owns ESPN and a substantial stake in a sports streaming company, it appears that Venu Sports is no longer necessary for them. Reports suggest that Disney will concentrate on its ESPN-related offerings moving forward. They seem to be planning to introduce ESPN as a standalone streaming service, known as “Flagship.

Venu Sports might as well have billed its users a monthly fee of $42.99. Compared to other streaming services, this isn’t the most exorbitant price, but it’s certainly on the higher side… To be honest, we don’t feel too disappointed about its closure.

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For the moment, Venu Sports has ceased operations. Interestingly, as news about Venu Sports broke out, there were several other bundle announcements in the streaming world, such as the Disney+, Hulu, and Max package, and the Peacock, Netflix, and Apple TV+ combination. It’s intriguing to consider what the dissolution of Disney, Warner Bros., Discovery, and Fox might mean for future streaming bundles.

2025-01-10 20:32

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