New Sports Streaming Service Will Be $43 a Month

Venu Sports, arriving this fall, is described as 'Hulu for sports'
By Arden Dier,  Newser Staff
Posted Aug 1, 2024 12:18 PM CDT
New Streaming Service Seen as 'Hulu for Sports'
Fans cheer after Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry makes a 3-pointer.   (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

A major new sports streaming service will charge $43 per month when it launches later this year. The service, called Venu Sports, is expected to encompass roughly 55% of US sports rights, reports the Wall Street Journal. Details:

  • The gist: Venu, a joint venture from Disney's ESPN, Warner Bros. Discovery, and Fox, is "meant to fill the live sports gap in the streaming space," per the Verge. It launches sometime this fall, possibly before the start of the NFL season, per CNBC. The AP notes that it's been described as "Hulu for sports."
  • The cost: After a free 7-day trial, the service will cost $42.99 per month for the first year, the platform announced Thursday. Users can cancel at any time.
  • What do you get? Access to live sports from the NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB, WNBA, NASCAR and NCAA, along with golf, tennis, soccer, and more, per the Hollywood Reporter. Subscribers gain access to the 14 TV sports networks of Venu's parent companies, including ESPN, ABC, Fox, TNT, TBS, and the streaming service ESPN+, per CNBC.
  • The catch: Subscribers will miss out on "many NFL and college games" under the umbrella of CBS Sports and NBC Sports, per the Reporter. TNT will also lose access to NBA games after the 2024-25 season, though ESPN will retain some rights, per the Journal. YouTube TV has access to more sports programming for a higher cost of $73 a month.
  • The setup: "Venu plans to package its sports programming (both live and on-demand) around three 'pillars': Live games and events, studio shows and pre- and post-game coverage, and library content like sports docs," per the Reporter.
  • Background: The service was announced in February and publicly named in May, per CNBC. Former Apple and Hulu executive Pete Distad serves as CEO, though the company is still awaiting regulatory approval.
(More sports stories.)

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