Yet another streaming bundle has become available, but at an even heftier price tag than expected. Disney, Fox, and Warner Bros. Discovery are launching a live sports streaming service called Venu Sports, which will cost subscribers $42.99 per month.
The streaming service will offer a seven-day free trial with the ability to cancel at any time. Venu notes that subscribers who sign up at $42.99 a month will be able to keep that subscription plan for 12 months, meaning the streamer could expect to hike up prices within the first year of launching.
Venu (pronounced “venue,” according to Variety) will become a one-stop shop for the entire portfolio of “thousands” of live sports events licensed to its parent companies, including the NFL, NBA, MLB, college sports, and more. The streamer will also include traditional channels that air sports such as ABC, Fox, and TNT.
“Venu will provide sports fans in the U.S. with a single destination for watching many of the most sought-after games and events,” Venu Sports CEO Pete Distad said in a press release, per CNBC. “We’re building Venu from the ground up for fans who want seamless access to watch the sports they love, and we will launch at a compelling price point that will appeal to the cord cutter and cord never fans currently not served by existing pay TV packages.”
However, Business Insider reports that Venu will not feature all NFL games as the package doesn’t include CBS, which has the rights to Sunday AFC games.
Though $42.99 does not seem like too much in comparison to YouTube TV’s $73 per month, it may raise some questions considering Venu doesn’t actually offer all live sports. Early reports noted that the streaming service was expected to be around $45 or $50 a month, and it appears that Venu is expecting to hike up prices sooner or later.
Previous reporting notes that subscribers will also be able to bundle the streaming service with the companies’ other platforms like Disney+, Hulu and Max.
Disney CEO Bob Iger praised the joint venture, noting that Venu marks “a significant moment for Disney 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,” Iger said in a statement, per CNBC. “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.”
Each company owns a one-third stake in the new streaming company.
According to the Venu website, the new app and streaming service expects to launch in fall 2024 “conditional on receiving regulatory approval.”
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