Disney, Fox, and Warner Bros have announced the launch of Venu, a new platform offering live coverage of football, basketball games, and other entertainment options. Variety states it’ll combine content from ESPN Plus and live events from several of “the three companies’ linear TV networks.” This includes but is not limited to, ABC, ESPN2, FS1, TNT, and TBS. If you look at the initial partnership announcement from February, you’ll see everything Venu will offer at launch. Pro football, baseball, basketball, and even Formula 1 racing are all on the table.
There is still a lot we don’t know about the service. Presumably, it will have a back catalog of past games available on demand. Additionally, no one knows when it’s going to launch. The companies are aiming for a Fall 2024 release when it’ll be available as a standalone app, although this could change. If you go to the platform’s official website, you’ll see a notice at the bottom stating that the “launch is conditional on receiving regulatory approval.” This means they’re waiting for the United States government to give them a green light before moving forward.
Pricing is unknown at the time as the three brands are saying they’ll reveal this information at a later time … likely closer to launch. However, that hasn’t prevented industry experts from making predictions. According to Deadline, “most Wall Street analysts and industry observers” predict Venu will “cost at least $40 a month.” Interested audiences can also purchase the service in a bundle that can include either Disney Plus, Hulu, or Max, potentially raising prices even more. Live sports seem to be the new frontier for streaming services.
Netflix recently announced it will broadcast NFL games on Christmas Day for the next three years. NBCUniversal has exclusive rights to air the Paris 2024 Olympics “with coverage likely to spread across [its streaming platform] Peacock TV” and its linear channels. It’ll be interesting to see if viewers are willing to leave behind established services for these new avenues. There is a chance they might because of how more affordable Venu could be. YouTube TV, for example, offers live sports and costs $72.99 a month or $57.99 if you’re a new user.
Unknown details
If you go to the platform’s official website, you’ll see a notice at the bottom stating that the “launch is conditional on receiving regulatory approval.” This means they’re waiting for the United States government to give them a green light before moving forward. There is still a lot we don’t know about the service. Presumably, it will have a back catalog of past games available on demand. Additionally, no one knows when it’s going to launch. The companies are aiming for a Fall 2024 release when it’ll be available as a standalone app, although this could change.
