The biggest change in sports broadcasting since cable television hit the small screen this fall. ESPN, Fox and Warner Bros. Discovery are poised to launch a new streaming experience covering live content from nearly every major sports league. The joint venture was so surprising that even the sports leagues themselves were unaware of the plan. Because big team-ups like this often end up in a fight.
But joint ventures make sense. Viewers wanted an easy way to stream their favorite sports. YearBy bringing the National Football League (NFL), National Basketball Association (NBA), National Hockey League (NHL), College Football, PGA Tour, Grand Slam Tennis, US Soccer, and even NASCAR under one streaming roof, this It may solve your problem. .
Right now, the sports streaming industry is so confusing with broadcast rights that fans are stringing together different subscriptions just to watch all the games they want to watch. For example, for football, viewers will need to subscribe to Amazon Prime Video to watch Thursday Night Football, but they will need Peacock to watch Sunday Night Football, and viewers will need Peacock to watch the Super Bowl. requires Paramount Plus or YouTube TV.
Live streaming services like Fubo aren't too happy about this new joint venture
A new sports streaming super app will fill this gap. Because the only alternative is an expensive live TV streaming service crammed with channels that sports fans don't need or want.Cord cutters seeking access to all Use live streaming services like Hulu with Live TV, YouTube TV, Fubo, and Sling TV to watch all the major sports live in one place. These services may seem ideal, as they offer access to channels like ESPN, FS1, and CBS Sports Network, but like cable, sports fans may want to watch games in a particular market. We have to deal with local power outages that prevent us from broadcasting. Live streaming services are also several times more expensive than the standard $15.49 per month Netflix plan, as YouTube TV costs $72.99 per month, while Hulu's standalone live TV service costs $75.99 per month.
And unlike these live streaming services, this new super app will mainly specialize in sports-related content. It only houses select linear channels such as ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, SECN, ACCN, ESPNews, ABC, FOX, FS1, FS2, BTN, TNT, TBS, truTV, and subscribers can also bundle with Disney Plus. Masu. , Hulu, Warner Bros. Discovery's Max.
Sure, this all sounds like a great idea, right? Viewers can finally Get your major sports fix from a single service. But it has some problems. As you might imagine, competing livestreaming services like Fubo aren't necessarily happy with this new joint venture. Fubo issued a statement shortly after the news broke, raising concerns about the “underlying motivation and meaning” of the joint venture. “All American consumers should be concerned about the intentions behind this joint venture and its impact on fair market competition,” the statement said, adding that the service's vast portfolio It added: “This could sway market conditions in a way that is not in the interest of a wide range of consumers.” consumer. ”
Then there's linear television. For some, sports are something that locks people into cable or satellite subscriptions, and that could change as more streamlined options come to market. “The cable industry is going to be in trouble,” said Rajkumar Venkatesan, a business professor at the University of Virginia. The Verge. “I think the pie is shrinking and will continue to shrink. This is another step in that direction.”
That means it's not just a streaming service, it's a giant company with the power to beat the competition. But the sports streaming giant is in a strange position. His Fox, owned by Fox Corporation, is focused on broadcasting sports on its own linear network, but Disney remains committed to making a streaming-only version of his ESPN standalone in 2025. . Disney CEO Bob Iger said the ESPN app “has the following features: This combination of Fox and Time Warner Discovery is not going to happen. ” This includes integrated betting, fantasy, products, and more.
And a new live sports level, Warner Bros. Discovery, has been added to Max. This $9.99/month Bleacher Report Sports add-on includes live games from the NFL, NBA, U.S. Soccer, National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), and more. As Venkatesan pointed out, Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery are likely to prioritize a service they own entirely over one they only own one-third of. “Let's say a new service does well and grows,” says Venkatesan. The Verge. “Now, all of a sudden, they're playing against someone like ESPN, and ESPN isn't going to like that. This is a very delicate situation for them.”
The strategy behind this launch is similar to that of Hulu, which started out as a joint venture with News Corp., NBCUniversal, Providence Equity, and eventually Disney. But that means Hulu could eventually run into the same problems it experienced in its early days, caused by too many owners with competing ideas.
As it turns out, the new sports streaming service is exist. It remains to be seen what kind of user interface it will be and how well the backend will hold up during live NFL playoffs. But the fact that Disney has already reserved some of its best features for the upcoming ESPN app isn't all that reassuring. ESPN, Fox and Warner Bros. Discovery are betting that the rich selection of sports available on the service will be enough to attract subscribers. Whether or not the content alone is enough to capture the biggest sports fans, it risks falling by the wayside as ESPN and Warner Bros. Discovery look to beef up their own services instead. .
