- Venu Sports was supposed to launch ahead of the NFL season, but a judge has blocked this from happening.
- The preliminary injunction is in response to Fubo’s lawsuit stating the new service would have a monopoly over sports streaming due to a roughly 54% control of all US sports between the three partners involved: Disney, Fox, and Warner Bros. Discovery.
- The companies behind Venu Sports have appealed the order, but, for now, the $ 42.99-a-month service has been paused before it could even get off the ground.
Venu Sports was officially announced in August 2024. The new streaming service promised a variety of sports content from Disney, Fox, and Warner Bros. Discovery. There would also be a huge range of live games and events, thanks to partnerships with nearly every major sports association. Fubo immediately took issue with the service, filing an antitrust lawsuit citing “extreme suppression of competition in the U.S. sports-focused streaming market.” Now, they’ve scored the first victory in this battle thanks to a new ruling from a US District Judge.
Fubo has argued that the companies’ massive combined control would create a virtual monopoly over sports services, negatively impacting businesses like theirs and limiting consumer choice. As noted by CNBC it seems U.S. Judge Margaret Garnett believes the case has merit, and she has now temporarily blocked the service from launching. It seems the new service might be in violation of the Clayton Act, which governs mergers and acquisitions.