ESPN, Fox, Warner Bros. Discovery Plan Fall Launch of Sports Streaming Platform
ESPN, Fox, and Warner Bros. Discovery are teaming up to launch a sports streaming platform in the fall. The platform will include content from at least 15 networks and cover all four major professional sports leagues. Subscribers will have the option to bundle the service with Disney+, Hulu, and/or Max.
In an exciting collaboration, ESPN, Fox, and Warner Bros. Discovery have announced their plans to launch a sports streaming platform in the fall. This platform will offer content from at least 15 networks and cover all four major professional sports leagues.
For sports fans, this one-stop app will be a welcome sight as they continue to navigate rising costs by subscribing to multiple services. Kevin Krim, the president and CEO of ad measurement firm EDO, compared this partnership to the success of Hulu when it first started in 2008.
"My sense is knowing the cast of characters, they're looking at the original Hulu concept and thinking, 'Well, that worked out really well for us.' So let's do that again. But for live sports streaming," Krim said.
Each of the three companies will have a one-third ownership stake in the joint venture. The name of the service and pricing details will be announced at a later date.
Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav expressed his excitement about the new sports service, stating, "This new sports service exemplifies our ability as an industry to drive innovation and provide consumers with more choice, enjoyment, and value, and we're thrilled to deliver it to sports fans."
The platform will offer a wide range of sports content, including games from the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, WNBA, NASCAR, and college sports such as the NCAA Tournament. It will also feature golf, tennis, and the FIFA World Cup.
Subscribers will have access to offerings from 15 linear networks, including ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, SEC Network, ACC Network, ESPNEWS, ABC, FOX, FS1, FS2, Big Ten Network, TNT, TBS, truTV, and ESPN+. Additionally, subscribers will have the option to bundle the sports streaming service with Disney+, Hulu, and/or Max.
Fox CEO and Executive Chair Lachlan Murdoch believes that this service will provide passionate fans outside of the traditional bundle with an array of amazing sports content all in one place.
The announcement of this bundle comes at a crucial time as ESPN and Warner Bros. Discovery are preparing to negotiate the renewal of their NBA rights, which expire at the end of next season. The NBA's popularity on TV, second only to the NFL, is a driving force behind this collaboration.
ESPN has also been actively seeking strategic partners as it prepares to launch its own direct-to-consumer product in the near future. "The launch of this new streaming sports service is a significant moment for Disney and ESPN, a major win for sports fans, and an important step forward for the media business," said Walt Disney Company CEO Bob Iger.
ESPN, Fox, and Warner Bros. Discovery are teaming up to launch a sports streaming platform in the fall.
The platform will include content from at least 15 networks and cover all four major professional sports leagues.
Subscribers will have the option to bundle the service with Disney+, Hulu, and/or Max.
Source: AP NEWS