Credit: DisneyDisney and two of its rivals have officially abandoned their planned streaming service.
In February 2024, the streaming wars took an unexpected turn when a joint venture was announced between ESPN Inc. (owned by The Walt Disney Company and Hearst Communications), Fox Corporation (which owns Fox Sports Media Group), and Warner Bros. Discovery (which owns TNT Sports).
The idea was that Venu would combine the sports broadcast by Disney, Warner Bros., and Fox and make them accessible in one single subscription service. Initially slated to launch in the summer of 2024, it would offer sports, entertainment, and news content and be available with either a standalone subscription or as part of a bundle with Disney+, Tubi, Hulu, Max, or ESPN+.
With former Apple executive Pete Distad as its CEO, the plan was for Venu Sports to debut with an initial price tag of $42.99 per month.
Challenges Faced by Venu
Instead of debuting in 2024, the service faced a major roadblock.
On August 16, 2024, a federal judge issued a preliminary injunction to prevent the launch of the Venu streaming service after FuboTV filed an antitrust lawsuit against the three partnering companies.
FuboTV, known for its focus on sports streaming, had previously failed to secure a deal to include the same limited set of channels the companies had reserved for their own platform.
By January 2025, this legal dispute was resolved as part of FuboTV’s merger with Hulu’s Live TV service, which saw FuboTV accept a $220 million settlement and gave Disney a 70% stake in the newly combined entity. Just days later, however, Disney, Warner Bros., and Fox have released a statement declaring that Venu is officially dead.
The End of Venu
A joint statement from all three companies confirmed the end of Venu earlier today (via The Hollywood Reporter).
After careful consideration, we have collectively agreed to discontinue the Venu Sports joint venture and not launch the streaming service. In an ever-changing marketplace, we determined that it was best to meet the evolving demands of sports fans by focusing on existing products and distribution channels. We are proud of the work that has been done on Venu to date and grateful to the Venu staff, whom we will support through this transition period.
The announcement came just one day after DirecTV and Dish asked a judge to reconsider dismissing Fubo’s case, claiming Venu had the potential to “control the future of the live pay TV market.”
Do you wish Disney, Warner Bros., and Fox would go ahead with Venu?