Fox Corporation, Warner Bros Discovery (WBD) and Walt Disney Company-owned sports brand ESPN are teaming up to launch a new streaming-focused sports venture, according to a report.
On Tuesday, the Wall Street Journal said the three broadcasters will launch a new streaming service that combines their various sports telecast rights and other assets.
The service is expected to launch later this year, and will be available to subscribers of Disney-owned Hulu and ESPN Plus as well as WBD’s streaming service Max, the Journal reported, citing sources familiar with the matter. All three of those services already offer their own sports programming.
The cost of the new sports-focused product was not revealed, nor was it clear which platforms will be supported at launch. A report from Reuters said the development of the streaming package was still “subject to negotiation of agreements among the companies.”
If all goes well, the sports service — which has yet to be named — would include live athletic competitions and related programming from ABC, Fox, the ESPN multiplex of channels, several college sports-focused networks owned by Fox and WBD-owned TBS, TNT and Tru TV, along with competitions that are typically only available on ESPN Plus.
The broadcasters offer a wide variety of sports programming through their telecast rights deals with the National Football League (NFL), Major League Baseball (MLB), the National Basketball Association (NBA), the National Hockey League (NHL), NASCAR and others.
