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ESPN, Fox and Warner Bros. Discovery has announced plans to launch a sports streaming platform in the fall that will include service from at least 15 networks and all four major professional sports leagues.
David Cole/AP
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David Cole/AP
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ESPN, Fox and Warner Bros. Discovery has announced plans to launch a sports streaming platform in the fall that will include service from at least 15 networks and all four major professional sports leagues.
David Cole/AP
ESPN, Fox and Warner Bros. Discovery announced Tuesday plans to launch a sports streaming platform in the fall that will include service from at least 15 networks and all four major professional sports leagues.
A one-stop app for most sports would be a welcome sight for fans who subscribe to multiple services and continue to face rising costs.
Kevin Krim, president and CEO of ad measurement firm EDO, compared the three companies teaming up for sports, much like some networks did when Hulu launched in 2008.
“My sense is that I know the cast of characters and I look at the original Hulu concept and I’m thinking, ‘Well, it’s a really good fit for us.’” So let's try again. “But for live sports streaming,” he said.
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The three companies will each share 1/3 of the joint venture. The service name and price will be announced later.
“This new sports offering expands our ability as an industry to drive innovation and deliver more choice, enjoyment and value to consumers,” David Zaslav, CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery, said in a statement. “It’s a great example,” he said. “We’re happy to offer this to sports fans.”
The platform includes NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, WNBA, NASCAR and college sports events, including the men's and women's NCAA tournaments, golf, tennis and the FIFA World Cup.
This includes products from 15 linear networks: ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, SEC Network, ACC Network, ESPNEWS, ABC, FOX, FS1, FS2, Big Ten Network, TNT, TBS, truTV and ESPN+.
Subscribers can also bundle the product with Disney+, Hulu, and/or Max.
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“We believe this service will provide passionate fans with incredible sports content all in one place, rather than traditional bundles,” Fox CEO and Chairman Lachlan Murdoch said in a statement.
The bundle announcement also comes as ESPN and Warner Bros. Discovery prepare to negotiate a renewal of NBA rights that expire at the end of next season.
“For me, what sparks all of this is the NBA. We see time and time again that the NBA is the second-best franchise on TV after the NFL,” Krim said. “I think we’re seeing renegotiations and new bids coming in that could include Google, Amazon, Netflix, Apple, etc. It’s a great way to build a team and stay competitive.”
ESPN is also seeking strategic partners as it prepares to launch a direct-to-consumer product within the next year or two.
“The launch of this new streaming sports service is a significant moment for Disney and ESPN, a huge win for sports fans and an important step forward for our media businesses,” said Bob Iger, CEO of The Walt Disney Company, in a statement. . “This means we can offer consumers the full range of ESPN channels along with sports programming from other industry leaders as part of a differentiated sports-focused offering.”