With the NFL’s rumored move to put a pair of games on Netflix on Christmas now confirmed, football fans who want the opportunity to watch the pro football’s entire season, including the Ravens-Chiefs banger that’s set to kick off the season, currently need to have access to TV networks Fox, NBC, CBS and ESPN (cost varies) as well as streaming services Netflix ($6.99/mo), ESPN+ ($10.99/mo), Peacock ($5.99/mo), Prime Video ($8.99/mo), and YouTube TV with NFL Sunday Ticket ($72.99/mo).
We’re still waiting on all the details, but a new streaming service called Venu Sports is set to launch this fall, thanks to ESPN, a subsidiary of Walt Disney, teaming up with Fox and Warner Bros. Discovery. Announced earlier today, Venu will “bring together the collective companies’ portfolios of sports networks” and ESPN+ – including content from all the major professional sports leagues and college sports,” according to a release.
“Welcome to the future home of sports streaming. Venu will bring the most sought-after live sports from the top leagues and teams, together in one place,” per the Venu Sports website.
It’s Time to Remember the Team the Yankees Want to Forget
A new Peacock series examines when the Bronx Bombers blew up in 1990The launch of the new service is still subject to regulatory approval and the lower-case Js in the agreement between the broadcasting heavyweights still need to be dotted, but the plan is to make Venu available directly to consumers via an app and give subscribers the ability to bundle the service with Disney+, Hulu or Max.
“We are excited to officially introduce Venu Sports, a brand that we feel captures the spirit of an all-new streaming home where sports fans outside of the traditional pay TV eco-system can experience an incredible collection of live sports, all in one place,” said Venu CEO Pete Distad. “As preparations for the platform continue to accelerate, we are singularly focused on delivering a best-in-class product for our target audience, built from the ground up using the latest technologies to engage and entertain discerning sports fans wanting one-stop access to live games.”
In a vacuum, a one-stop shop for streaming sports sounds like a winning idea. On the other hand, paying for another streaming service does not. Hopefully, ESPN, Fox and Warner Bros. realize that and are going to position Venu in a way that adding it will allow sports fans to jettison some of their other streaming services — and the bills that come with them. If not, Venu will have a tough time scoring casual sports fans as subscribers.
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