The long-awaited is no longer happening, and others. The sports-focused streaming service was going to be a joint offering from Disney, Warner Bros. Discovery and Fox. No concrete reason was given, other than corporate language.
“In an ever-changing marketplace, we determined it was best to meet the changing demands of sports fans by focusing on existing products and distribution channels,” the companies wrote in a statement.
We assume this move will also involve some major layoffs, as Venu has been percolating for a while. To that end, the companies said they are “proud of the work that has been done on Venu to date and grateful to the Venu staff, whom we will support during this transition period.” There are no details on what this support will entail.
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Venu Sports, the MVPD virtual service proposed by ESPN, FOX and Warner Bros. Discovery, will be discontinued
The collective decision of the three companies not to proceed with the contemplated joint venture is effective immediately.
Further: https://t.co/Cvwv2h601G <a target="_blank" href="https://t.co/lylDeHDy9p" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:pic.twitter.com/lylDeHDy9p;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas” class=”link “>pic.twitter.com/lylDeHDy9p
— ESPN Public Relations (@ESPNPR) <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/ESPNPR/status/1877709900949672027?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw” rel=”nofollow noopener” target=”_blank” data-ylk=”slk:January 10, 2025;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas” class=”link “>January 10, 2025
The real reason for the closure is likely due to ongoing legal issues. Just as one threat disappeared this week with Fubo, another has appeared in its place. Days after Disney announced a deal to merge Hulu + Live TV with Fubo, a pair of satellite TV companies a pre-existing court order that .
DirecTV and EchoStar suggested that Fubo and Disney's new friendship does not resolve the alleged antitrust issues surrounding Venu Sports. DirecTV wrote to a judge, saying the joint venture “restores an anti-competitive runway” for the companies to “control the future of the live pay TV market.” EchoStar wrote a similar letter.
An anonymous source familiar with Venu Sports said The Hollywood Reporter that the decision to cancel the streaming service was made in recent days and that the aforementioned legal problem played a role.
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