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

ESPN, FOX and Warner Bros. Discovery have reached an agreement to form a new joint venture to build a platform to house a streaming sports service. The platform brings together the companies’ portfolios of sports networks, certain direct-to-consumer (DTC) sports services and sports – including content from all the major professional sports leagues and college sports.  

The offering, scheduled to launch this fall, would be available direct to consumers via a new app. Subscribers would also have the ability to bundle the product, including with Disney+, Hulu and/or Max. 

The platform would aggregate content to offer fans an extensive lineup of sports content, aiming to provide a new and differentiated experience to serve sports fans, particularly those outside of the traditional pay TV bundle. 

The new service will showcase events from the following: 

By subscribing to this service, fans would have access to the linear sports networks, including ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, SECN, ACCN, ESPNEWS, ABC, FOX, FS1, FS2, BTN, TNT, TBS, truTV and ESPN+. 

“The launch of this new streaming sports service is a significant moment for Disney and ESPN, a major win for sports fans, and an important step forward for the media business,” says Bob Iger, chief executive officer, The Walt Disney Company (owner of ESPN). “This means the full suite of ESPN channels will be available to consumers alongside the sports programming of other industry leaders as part of a differentiated sports-centric service. I’m grateful to Jimmy Pitaro and the team at ESPN, who are at the forefront of innovating on behalf of consumers to create new offerings with more choice and greater value.” 

“We’re pumped to bring the FOX Sports portfolio to this new and exciting platform,” says Lachlan Murdoch, executive chair, chief executive officer, FOX. “We believe the service will provide passionate fans outside of the traditional bundle an array of amazing sports content all in one place.” 

“At WBD, our ambition is always to connect our leading content and brands with as many viewers as possible, and this exciting joint venture and the unparalleled combination of marquee sports rights and access to the greatest sporting events in the world allows us to do just that,” says David Zaslav, chief executive officer, Warner Bros. Discovery. This new sports service exemplifies our ability as an industry to drive innovation and provide consumers with more choice, enjoyment and value and we’re thrilled to deliver it to sports fans.”