Venu Sports, a new sports streaming venture by Disney’s ESPN, Warner Bros. Discovery, and Fox Corp., has announced its monthly subscription price of $42.99. The service is set to launch in the fall, ahead of the NFL season starting on September 5.
Key Features:
- Subscription Details:
- Monthly Cost: $42.99
- 7-day free trial available
- Price guaranteed for 12 months
- Service Offering:
- Thousands of live sports events
- Coverage includes NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB, and major college sports
- Access to 14 traditional TV sports networks such as ESPN, ABC, Fox, TNT, and TBS
- Integration with ESPN+ streaming service
Target Audience:
Venu Sports aims to attract sports fans who are outside the traditional pay TV ecosystem, offering a centralized platform for accessing a wide range of live sports content. This move caters to “cord cutters” and “cord nevers,” who are increasingly opting for streaming services over conventional TV subscriptions.
Management and Ownership:
- The joint venture is equally owned by Disney, Warner Bros. Discovery, and Fox Corp.
- Former Apple and Hulu executive Pete Distad has been appointed CEO.
- Venu operates independently with its own management team.
Future Plans:
Venu Sports’ pricing strategy aligns with high-end direct-to-consumer sports streaming services, aiming not to disrupt existing carriage agreements with traditional pay TV distributors. This pricing strategy reflects the increasing costs associated with securing media rights for live sports, as evidenced by the recent NBA deal worth $77 billion over 11 years.
Additionally, Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery plan to bundle their streaming services (Max, Disney+, and Hulu) at $16.99 per month with ads, and $29.99 per month without ads. This bundle aims to provide a more comprehensive entertainment package alongside Venu Sports.
Venu’s launch represents a significant shift in the sports broadcasting landscape, offering a comprehensive service for dedicated sports fan.
