In what could be a groundbreaking move, three of the most important entertainment companies in the United States have come out to reveal a new joint venture that will change the landscape of streaming platforms forever.
The yet-to-be-named platform created by ESPN, FOX, and Warner Bros Discovery, is set to include a feed for all the linear TV channels owned by each company, giving fans the option to follow their favorite sports under only one service. Additionally, fans will also get the chance to bundle this product, adding it to Disney+, Hulu, or Max.
Some of the channels that will be included in this new platform are: ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, SECN, ACCN, ESPNEWS, ABC, FOX, FS1, FS2, BTN, TNT, TBS, truTV, as well as ESPN+.
This new platform will include a large variety of disciplines to stream, with pro football, baseball, basketball, hockey, golf, tennis, combat sports, soccer and motorsports being part of this deal.
Speaking of soccer competitions, the deal would allow fans to follow competitions such as the FIFA World Cup, La Liga, the Bundesliga, MLS, NWSL, all Concacaf competitions, and all UEFA tournaments...everything under one streaming platform.
"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," Bob Iger, CEO for the Walt Disney Company, revealed.
Speaking on behalf of FOX, CEO Lachlan Murdoch shared his views on this deal.
"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," Murdoch added.
Warner Bros Discovery CEO David Zaslav also gave his insights on the project.
"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.
Details on when this new platform will be available, as well as its cost, will be revealed at a later date.
