ESPN, Fox and Warner Bros./Discovery announced Tuesday the formation of a joint venture that will develop a streaming sports service providing subscribers with access to the programming of all three broadcasting entities beginning this fall.
According to a joint statement from Fox, Warner Bros. and ESPN — a subsidiary of the Walt Disney Co. — the new service will provide programming from networks including ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, SECN, ACCN, ESPNEWS, ABC, FOX, FS1, FS2, BTN, TNT, TBS, truTV and ESPN+. The new service will also be offered in bundles with existing platforms Disney+, Hulu and Max.
The new app is expected to be available beginning this fall.
“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,” Disney CEO Bob Iger said in a statement. “This means the full suite of ESPN channels will be available to consumers alongside the sports programming of other industry leaders as part of differentiated sports-centric service.”
Lachlan Murdoch, CEO of Fox, added, “We’re pumped to bring the Fox Sports portfolio to this new and exciting platform. We believe the service will provide passionate fans outside of the traditional bundle an array of amazing sports content all in one place.”
David Zaslav, CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery, called the new service an “unparalleled combination of marquee sports rights” that will help extend Warner’s content “with as many viewers as possible.”
“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,” Zaslav said.
There was no immediate word on pricing for the new app.
According to the participants, ESPN, Fox and Warner will each own one-third of the joint venture, with equal board representation, and each will license their sports content to the venture on a “non-exclusive basis.” The service will have “a new brand with an independent management team.”
The app will include access to programming from the NFL, NBA, WNBA, MLB, NHL, NASCAR, college sports, UFC, PGA Tour golf, Grand Slam Tennis, the FIFA World Cup, cycling and more.
