FOX, Warner Bros. Discovery and ESPN, a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, will launch a new sports streaming joint venture (JV) this autumn, combining the companies’ portfolios of sports networks, certain direct-to-consumer (DTC) sports services and sports rights.
The paid-for service would be made available directly to consumers via a new app, with a new brand with an independent management team. Subscribers would also have the ability to bundle the product with Disney+, Hulu and/or Max.
ESPN, FOX and Warner Bros. Discovery would each own one-third of the JV, have equal board representation, and license their sports content to the JV on a non-exclusive basis. Further details, including pricing, will be announced at a later date.
Bob Iger, CEO of The Walt Disney Company said: “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. 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. I’m grateful to Jimmy Pitaro and the team at ESPN, who are at the forefront of innovating on behalf of consumers to create new offerings with more choice and greater value.”
Lachlan Murdoch, Executive Chair and CEO of FOX said: “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, said: “At WBD, our ambition is always to connect our leading content and brands with as many viewers as possible, and this exciting joint venture and the unparalleled combination of marquee sports rights and access to the greatest sporting events in the world allows us to do just that. 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.”
Customers would have access to the linear sports networks including ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, SECN, ACCN, ESPNEWS, ABC, FOX, FS1, FS2, BTN, TNT, TBS, truTV, as well as ESPN+.
The new service will showcase thousands of high-profile sporting events including, but not limited to, the NFL, UFL, NBA, WNBA, MLB, NHL, PGA Tour, PGA Championship, The Masters, TGL, Wimbledon, US Open, Australian Open, FIFA World Cup, MLS, LaLiga, Bundesliga, UFC, Formula 1, NASCAR and the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
You are not signed in
Only registered users can comment on this article.
Upcoming webinar: Beating the clock on live piracy dynamics
Join IBC365 and Verimatrix at the Attack Vectors, Scale, and the Race for Real-Time Response webinar on 29 July 2026 to discover the latest techniques propelling preventive, real-time strategies against modern piracy.
24 million watch England's World Cup defeat
A peak audience of 24 million watched as Argentina knocked out England in the World Cup semi-final on Wednesday night (July 15) across BBC One and BBC iPlayer, giving the BBC an 85% share of all TV viewing.
Disney+ expands to 58 languages in localisation push
Disney+ expands to 58 languages in localisation push Streaming platform Disney+ is rolling out support for 17 additional languages, bringing its total to 58 audio languages.
Jeremy Clarkson and BBC’s Matt Brittin join RTS London Convention line-up
The Royal Television Society (RTS) has announced a raft of high-profile speakers for its biennial RTS London Convention 2026, which takes place on September 26.
12 US states to block Paramount’s Warner Bros Discovery deal
The Writers Guild of America and a coalition of US states have both filed major antitrust lawsuits to challenge Paramount Skydance’s planned acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD).
