The news: Venu Sports is no more. Disney, Fox, and Warner Bros. Discovery announced Friday that they are cancelling plans to launch the sports streaming service after it attracted significant antitrust scrutiny from competitors and failed to meet its September 2024 launch date.
How we got here: Announced in February 2024, Venu Sports would have offered customers access to the three networks’ linear sports streaming rights for $42.99 monthly in a move that would have significantly shifted the balance of power in streaming—if it hadn’t hit multiple roadblocks.
Our take: The collapse of Venu Sports will slow the pace of streaming industry consolidation, with each of its stakeholders opting to focus on their own products rather than pursue the controversial joint venture.
Competitors like Prime Video and YouTube TV with costly sports rights deals will likely breathe a sigh of relief at the news as Venu’s competitive price point and slew of offerings posed a significant threat to their businesses.
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