Fox, ESPN, Warner Bros. Discovery to Launch Streaming Sports Service

Fox, ESPN and Warner Bros. Discovery have announced a joint venture to launch a new streaming sports service in the United States.

This collaboration aims to create a platform that will offer a lineup of sports content, including thousands of high-profile sporting events from major professional sports leagues and college sports, the companies said in a Tuesday (Feb. 6) press release.

Scheduled to launch in the fall of 2024, the new streaming service will be available directly to consumers through a new app, according to the release. Subscribers will also have the option to bundle the product with other streaming services such as Disney+, Hulu and Max.

Specific details such as pricing have yet to be announced.

Each company will own one-third of the joint venture and have equal board representation, the release said. The service will have a new brand and an independent management team.

Bob Iger, CEO of The Walt Disney Company, said in the release that the partnership is seen as a significant moment for Disney and ESPN, as it allows the full suite of ESPN channels to be available to consumers alongside the sports programming of other industry leaders. It also represents a major win for sports fans, providing them with a differentiated sports-centric service outside of the traditional pay TV bundle, Iger said.

Lachlan Murdoch, CEO of Fox, expressed excitement about bringing the Fox Sports portfolio to this new platform, providing fans with a wide range of sports content in one place, per the release.

David Zaslav, CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery, highlighted the joint venture’s ability to connect leading content and brands with as many viewers as possible, offering consumers more choice and value, according to the release.

Video streaming platforms have seen huge boosts from their sports offerings.

In another recent move in this space, Amazon said in January that it is making a minority investment in sports media company Diamond Sports Group. As part of this deal, Amazon will make Diamond Sports Group’s content, which includes MLB, NHL and NBA games, available for purchase via Prime Video.