After Netflix’s rise in the 2000s, the world saw an influx of streaming services: Paramount Plus, Disney Plus, Peacock, Prime video and Max, formerly known as HBO Max, to name a few. Users have complained that the surplus of streaming services is equivalent to paying for cable, and sports fans are part of that category.
Right now, in order for sports fans to get their fill of their favorite team, they may have to be subscribed to multiple streaming services. If they want an exclusively sports streaming service, they may be subscribed to ESPN+ for $10.99 a month, but there are no live National Football League (NFL) or National Basketball Association (NBA) games. Amazon Prime Video offers Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) and Live Thursday Night Football, on which the Philadelphia Eagles’ Jason Kelce has guest starred, but they have to be an Amazon Prime subscriber.
Luckily, a recently announced deal between three major corporations may eliminate the need for multiple streaming services, thus saving sports fans money.
In early Feb, ESPN, Fox and Warner Brothers Discovery announced that they are teaming up to make an all-inclusive sports streaming service. According to the Sports Business Journal, the main people involved in negotiations include the Disney CEO, ESPN President, Fox CEO, Fox Sports President, Warner Brothers Discovery CEO and TNT CEO.
There a myriad of networks signed on to the service: ESPN and its other channels, ABC, FOX, TNT, TBS, TruTV and Big Ten Network as well as others.
No price on the service, release date or name are available at this time.
According to the Verge, in 2023, ESPN and Disney discussed the possibility of partnering with the NFL and NBA for a streaming service, but nothing ever came of the deal. Now, they are joining forces with two of the biggest competitors. This could lead to debates on whether this partnership could count as a monopoly or not.
On this new service, fans will be able to watch a breadth of live sports. The (NFL), Major Baseball League (MLB), NBA, National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR), National Hockey League (NHL), college sports and more will be available to watch.
The companies did not release any details on how blackouts will be dealt with. Blackouts occur when subscribers try to watch a local game and are stopped. This is a number one complaint for many sports streaming services subscribers as these local games are usually the ones they want to tune into most.
The Sports Business Journal reports that subscribers will be able to bundle the service with Hulu, Disney Plus and Max if desired.
