The long-awaited does not happen, and others. The sports-focused streaming service would be a joint offering by Disney, Warner Bros. Discovery and Fox. No concrete reason has been given, other than talking about business.
“In an ever-changing market, we have decided it is best to meet the changing needs of sports fans by focusing on existing products and distribution channels,” the companies wrote in a statement.
We think this move will involve a lot of layoffs, as Venu has been on fire for a long time. To that end, the companies said they are “proud of the work that has been done at Venu so far and are very grateful to Venu employees, who we will support during this transition period.” There are no details on what this support will entail.
Venu Sports, the proposed virtual MVPD service from ESPN, FOX & Warner Bros. Discovery, will be terminated.
The decision by the three affiliated companies not to continue the joint venture is effective immediately
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— ESPN PR (@ESPNPR) January 10, 2025
The real reason for the closure may be due to ongoing legal issues. Just as one threat disappeared this week, with Fubo, another appeared in its place. Days after Disney announced a deal to merge Hulu + Live TV with Fubo, the satellite TV companies pre-existing order to .
DirecTV and EchoStar have suggested that Fubo’s new partnership with Disney does not solve the alleged dishonesty issues surrounding Venu Sports. DirecTV wrote to the judge, saying the joint venture “restores the anti-competitive runway” so the companies “control the future of the live pay TV market.” EchoStar wrote a similar letter.
An independent source familiar with Venu Sports told The Hollywood Reporter that the move to cancel the streaming service was made a few days ago and that the aforementioned legal snafu played a role.