Industry Alert: ESPN, Fox, and WarnerBros. Discovery Join Forces With New Streaming Service
Three of the largest U.S. sports TV companies – ESPN, Fox, and Warner Bros. Discovery – just announced a joint venture to create a streaming service featuring all their linear sports TV content. Axios reports that the new service is set to launch later this year via a new app and will include content from linear TV networks such as ESPN, ABC, TNT, and Fox, as well as live sports content from ESPN+. This new service will feature a wide variety of sports, including but not limited to the NFL, MLB, NHL, NBA, and major college sports divisions.
This announcement carries considerable weight in the industry, given the established role of live sporting events in upholding the traditional cable bundle model. By offering a cost-effective alternative, this new app strategically aims to attract sports enthusiasts and prompt them to ditch their pricey cable bundles. This has proven to be an effective strategy, as seen with past moves to bring live sports event content to streaming, which only accelerated the pace at which people are cutting the cord.
