Venu Sports slated for fall launch with potential $42.99 monthly subscription

Venu Sports, a collaborative sports streaming platform by ESPN, Fox, and Warner Bros. Discovery, is set to launch in the fall at a monthly subscription rate of $42.99. The service, considered by many as the sports equivalent of Hulu, will feature a wide array of sporting events including NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, WNBA, NASCAR, college sports, golf, tennis, and soccer. Additionally, subscribers will have access to studio shows, pre- and post-game programming, ESPN’s 30 for 30 library, ESPN Films, and documentaries from Fox Sports Films.
The platform will offer content from 14 linear networks such as ESPN, ESPN2, SEC Network, ACC Network, Fox, FS1, FS2, TNT, TBS, and more, along with ESPN+. Subscribers will also have the option to bundle Venu Sports with Disney+, Hulu, and/or Max.
Venu Sports CEO Pete Distad expressed that the offering will cater to cord-cutters and cord-nevers who are not currently served by traditional pay-TV packages with an attractive pricing model.
The collaboration was announced on Feb. 6, with ESPN, Fox, and Warner Bros. Discovery each owning one-third of the joint venture. However, the launch of Venu Sports is subject to regulatory approval and other hurdles.
A competitor, FuboTV, has filed an antitrust lawsuit following the joint venture announcement, citing that ESPN, Fox, and Warner Bros. Discovery’s bundling requirements have hindered FuboTV from offering a sports-only streaming service despite their efforts.