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The New Venu
August 20, 2025
The old saying “If at first you don’t succeed …” must be the mantra for media executives trying to create a streaming sports empire.
It was announced that the new ESPN DTC subscription streaming service launching Aug. 21 will be available with the new Fox One SVOD service (also bowing Aug. 21) for a bundled price of $39.99 per month starting Oct. 2.
ESPN DTC will offer access to all of ESPN’s linear networks — ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, SECN, ACCN, ESPNEWS and ESPN Deportes — in addition to ESPN on ABC, ESPN+, SECN+ and ACCNX. Fox One will offer all Fox brands, including Fox News, Fox Business, Fox Weather, Fox Sports, FS1, FS2, Big Ten Network, Fox Deportes, Fox Local Stations and the Fox Network, as well as the option to bundle the Fox Nation and B1G+ subscription services.
The combo comes close to matching the proposed offering of the unrealized Venu Sports digital platform that would have combined Fox Sports, ESPN and Warner Bros. Discovery’s TNT Sports into a singular subscription streaming sport platform, priced at $42.99 monthly.
The concept was met with regulatory scrutiny and an antitrust lawsuit by Fubo. Not to be deterred, Disney bought Fubu out, inking a joint venture to combine Hulu + Live TV with Fubo and taking a stake in the venture. As part of the deal, the lawsuit was dropped. And Venu was dropped.
But the concept of a bundled sports streaming destination is alive and well.
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