Disney, Fox and WBD Unveil Name of Sports-Streaming Venture: Venu Sports
Disney, Fox and WBD Unveil Name of Sports-Streaming Venture: Venu Sports
The joint venture of Disney/ESPN, Fox Corp. and Warner Bros. Discovery to package together a sports streaming bundle has an official name - Venu Sports.
"We are excited to officially introduce Venu Sports, a brand that we feel captures the spirit of an all-new streaming home where sports fans outside of the traditional pay TV eco-system can experience an incredible collection of live sports, all in one place," Pete Distad, CEO of Venu Sports, said in a statement. "As preparations for the platform continue to accelerate, we are singularly focused on delivering a best-in-class product for our target audience, built from the ground up using the latest technologies to engage and entertain discerning sports fans wanting one-stop access to live games."
Disney, Fox and WBD unveiled their partnership in February, positioning the new streaming bundle as a way to reach consumers who don't subscribe to pay TV. It's pegged to debut in the fall of 2024.
Pricing and a specific launch date haven't been announced for the service, which will combine ESPN+ with the three companies' linear TV networks that carry sports programming (ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, SECN, ACCN, ESPNews, Fox, FS1, FS2, Big Ten Network, TNT, TBS and truTV).
The venture also launched a new website at venu.com. A notice at the bottom of the landing page says, "Launch is conditional on receiving regulatory approval and is expected for Fall 2024. This site is owned and operated by a subsidiary of FOX Corporation."
Venu Sports, the innovative future streaming platform being built through the joint venture created by ESPN, a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, Fox and Warner Bros. Discovery, will bring together the collective companies' portfolios of sports networks and ESPN+ – including content from all the major professional sports leagues and college sports. The formation and launch of the new service is subject to regulatory approval and the finalization of definitive agreements amongst the parties.
Venu Sports will be made available directly to consumers via a new app. Subscribers will also have the ability to bundle the product, including with Disney+, Hulu or Max.
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