ESPN, Fox, Warner Bros. Discovery Unite to Create New Streaming Platform for Live Sports Content

Walt Disney Company CEO Bob Iger is thrilled that ESPN, Fox, and Warner Bros. Discovery have agreed to create a new streaming platform for live sports content, which is set to launch this autumn. The new platform will be targeted towards "cord-cutters" who prefer streaming services over traditional cable TV packages. The platform will combine ESPN's existing streaming service, ESPN+, along with content from all three networks. The statement announced that the platform will feature content from the NFL, NBA, MLB, NASCAR, UFC, college sports, PGA Tour golf, and international soccer, including the 2026 World Cup.

However, it's important to note that the new platform will not include every game from these sports leagues, as other networks have acquired streaming rights to specific properties. The three networks are confident that the aggregation of content will create a new, differentiated experience for sports fans. The cost of the subscription is yet to be announced.

This collaboration is seen as a significant moment for Disney and ESPN and an important step forward for the media business, according to Iger. The new platform will enable consumers to bundle it with existing broad streaming offerings from Disney+, Hulu, and Max. Lachlan Murdoch, Executive Chair, and CEO of FOX, is excited to bring the FOX Sports portfolio to the new platform, believing it will provide passionate fans outside of the traditional bundle an array of sports content in one place.

David Zaslav, CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery, echoed Murdoch's sentiments, stating that the new service would provide an "unparalleled combination of marquee sports rights and access to the greatest sporting events in the world." The new streaming platform is expected to be widely welcomed by sports fans who can now look forward to an extensive lineup of sports content in one place this autumn.