Image created using DALL·E 3 with this prompt: Create an image of a television overstuffed and overflowing (in a cartoonish manner) with sports content, including games from the NFL, NBA, WNBA, MLB, NHL, NASCAR, college sports, UFC, PGA TOUR Golf, Grand Slam Tennis, the FIFA World Cup, Cycling, and more. The TV should be an HDTV mounted on a wall and you should be able to feel the warmth from its glow. The walls around the tv should be less vibrant and less noticeable. Aspect ratio: 16×9.
ESPN, Fox, and Warner Bros. Discovery are launching a new joint venture to create a sports streaming service this fall. The streaming service will include the companies’ portfolios of sports networks, certain direct-to-consumer sports services, and sports rights. Subscribers will have access to linear sports networks such as ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, SEC Network, ACC Network, ESPNEWS, ABC, FOX, FS1, FS2, BTN, TNT, TBS, truTV, and ESPN+.
The new unnamed (and unpriced) streaming service will be available as a stand-alone app and can also be bundled with Disney+, Hulu, and/or Max. A newly-formed company will own the joint venture with its own leadership team.
According to sources, the goal is to provide a new and differentiated experience for sports fans, particularly those outside of the traditional pay TV bundle. It will offer content from many major sports leagues, including the NFL, NBA, WNBA, MLB, NHL, NASCAR, college sports, UFC, PGA TOUR Golf, Grand Slam Tennis, the FIFA World Cup, Cycling, and more.
While this new venture is significant, it is not a complete solution for sports fans, as it does not include football or other sports coverage currently licensed by CBS, NBC, Apple, or Amazon.
Disney CEO Bob Iger called the launch a significant moment for Disney and ESPN, a major win for sports fans, and an important step forward for the media business. Clearly, it’s a significant moment for Disney and ESPN, and it is also an acknowledgement that bundling is good business. As for being a “major win for sports fans”? Let’s see how it’s priced.
Author’s note: This is not a sponsored post. I am the author of this article and it expresses my own opinions. I am not, nor is my company, receiving compensation for it. This work was created with the assistance of various generative AI models.