Sports fans, boy do we have an interesting update for you.

Venu Sports

In early 2023, The Walt Disney Company announced that streaming would become a massive priority. Part of that goal has been to turn ESPN+ into the preeminent sports platform, and that’s how the idea for Venu Sports came about. Venu Sports is the proposed sports streaming service that combines ESPN, Fox, and Warner Bros. Discovery and would become available to those with ESPN+, Hulu, and Max subscriptions. Disney had initially said that the streaming service should be available by fall 2024 via a new app, BUT there’s been a major setback.

A federal judge has granted FuboTV’s motion “for a preliminary injunction against the planned sports streaming venture by ESPN, Fox, and Warner Bros. Discovery,” according to The Associated Press. What does all this legal jargon mean? Well, it means a federal judge has currently blocked plans for this new streaming service to come to fruition — for now.

©Disney | Walt Disney Company Headquarters

In her 69-page ruling, District Judge Margaret M. Garnett in the Southern District of New York stated that “Fubo was likely to be successful in proving during a trial that the joint venture would violate antitrust laws,” which would then cause irreparable harm to Fubo customers.

©Fubo

ESPN, Fox, and Warner Bros. Discovery are already planning to appeal the ruling. Fubo first announced that it was suing The Walt Disney Company, FOX Corp., Warner Bros. Discovery, and other affiliates back in February, alleging that “The forthcoming launch of a sports-streaming joint venture steals Fubo’s playbook and is the latest example of this campaign.” But why is Fubo so concerned about this? Well, in their filing, FuboTV shared that they’ve been trying for years to offer a sports-only streaming service (exactly what Disney’s new Venu Sports service is trying to do) but have been prevented from doing so because of ESPN. Additionally, Fox and Warner Bros. Discovery have supposedly forced Fubo to “spend hundreds of millions of dollars to license and broadcast content that its customers do not want or need.”

ESPN Wide World of Sports

In response to the ruling, ESPN, Fox, and Warner Bros. Discovery said in a joint statement: “We believe that Fubo’s arguments are wrong on the facts and the law, and that Fubo has failed to prove it is legally entitled to a preliminary injunction. Venu Sports is a pro-competitive option that aims to enhance consumer choice by reaching a segment of viewers who currently are not served by existing subscription options.”

©ESPN

This injunction means that consumers will still have access to a more competitive marketplace with multiple sports streaming options rather than just one sole streaming option (which would essentially happen if Venu Sports launched today). This bump in the road means that the earliest we could see Venu Sports is likely next year in 2025.

We’ll be sure to keep you updated on all the latest news, so stay tuned to DFB!

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