• Loading stock data...
Sunday, August 3, 2025
Tuned In returns to NYC on September 16. Hear from the biggest names in sports media. Click here to get your spot

Source: Venu Sports App Will Launch in August

  • The sports TV bundle from Disney, Fox, and WBD will launch sooner than expected.
  • One thing that could push it back: FuboTV finding success in its injunction attempt against Venu.
FOS Illustration

The Walt Disney Co., Warner Bros. Discovery, and Fox Sports plan to launch their sports streaming app Venu by the end of this month, a reliable source close to the joint venture tells Front Office Sports.

That is earlier than previous reports of this fall, though it would make sense given the start of the NFL regular season Sept. 5, typically a big boon for over-the-top platform sign-ups. The three companies first announced plans for their joint venture back in February.

The target launch approaches even as a federal judge prepares to decide whether to block the launch at the behest of digital pay TV distributor FuboTV, which is suing the triumvirate over Venu.

Since Tuesday, federal court Judge Margaret Garnett has presided over four days of testy hearings over Fubo’s motion for a preliminary injunction. Fubo contends Venu is anticompetitive and violates antitrust law because the three giants are licensing just their sports channels to Venu, which they won’t do for other pay-TV distributors. Fubo seeks the right to license only the sports channels from those giants. Venu, which will cost $42.99 per month, will boast 14 sports-related channels.

Over four days, the judge has heard from 18 witnesses, and the testimony has revealed a raft of figures that hadn’t previously been made public. This includes the fact that the three partners in Venu each invested $400 million, each committed to spending $15 million on marketing in Venu’s first year, and all agreed to a noncompete for Venu’s first three years that prevents them from making similar pacts with other media companies.

On Monday, each side will get 90 minutes for closing arguments. Post-hearing briefs are due later that day, which signals Judge Garnett will not rule from the bench.

The defendants have communicated their end-of-August timeline to Judge Garnett, the source said, who added that does not necessarily mean Garnett will rule by Aug. 31.

Garnett advised the parties to come ready to present precedential court cases Monday. That is a signal she might be moved by strong legal arguments.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Behind a $50,000 Luxury Athlete Tattoo: Inked Under Anesthesia

High-end studios, elite artist teams, and hours under anesthesia.
Steve Pagliuca

Boston Group Has Deal to Buy Sun For WNBA-Record $325 Million

The league office cautioned that any Boston move was subject to approval.
opinion

ESPN-NFL Deal Still Contends With a Wild Card: Trump’s Approval

Negotiations between the NFL and Disney have been ongoing for four years
Coco Gauff at New York Liberty

How the New York Liberty Became the Hottest Ticket in Town

Once banished to the burbs, the Libs are now Brooklyn’s marquee attraction.

Featured Today

Las Vegas sign

College Sports Embracing Vegas After Years of Cold Shoulder

The Big Ten became the latest newcomer to Sin City.
2000, Jupiter, FL, USA; FILE PHOTO; Montreal Expos pitcher Hideki Irabu in action on the mound against the New York Mets at Roger Dean Stadium during Spring Training
July 28, 2025

Dead Sports Franchises Are Alive and Well on Twitter

The Expos, Sonics, and Whalers have active social media accounts.
Limited Hype
July 27, 2025

Sneaker Reselling Was Once Easy Money. Success Is Now Complicated

Vendors need to evolve what they’re selling and how they do it.
HAPPY GILMORE 2. BTS - (L to R) Adam Sandler as Happy Gilmore and Rory McIlroy as himself on the set of Happy Gilmore2.
July 26, 2025

‘Cool As Hell’: How ‘Happy Gilmore 2’ Hooked Golf’s Top Stars

The process was “cool as hell,” Adam Sandler tells FOS.
Jul 15, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) reacts to the crowd as they take on the Connecticut Sun in the first quarter at TD Garden.

WNBA Viewership Up Across All Networks Compared to 2024

Non-Fever games are up 37% compared to the full 2024 season.
Jul 27, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Sky guard Kia Nurse (11) drives to the basket against Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham (8) during the second half at United Center.
July 29, 2025

Fever-Sky Draws 1.5M Viewers Despite Clark, Reese Absences

Clark and Reese both missed the game due to injury.
NASCAR Cup Series driver Bubba Wallace (23) celebrates winning Sunday, July 27, 2025, the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
July 30, 2025

Amazon, TNT Post Near-Identical NASCAR Ratings in Debut Season

The cable channel is a new media-rights partner this season.
Sponsored

Game On: Portfolio Players Stories, Brought to You by E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley

Dealmaker Jeffrey Kaplan maps the evolution of sports as an asset class
July 29, 2025

WBD Restructuring Shows What’s Old Is New Again

WBD will become Warner Bros. and Discovery Global as two separate entities.
July 24, 2025

CBS Sports to Get New Owner As Skydance Merger Clears FCC Hurdle

The long-awaited, but highly debated, merger gains regulatory approval.
Dec 7, 2024; New York, New York, USA; A general view of Times Square during the MLS Cup Times Square Watch Party prior to the game between the LA Galaxy and the New York Red Bulls.
July 24, 2025

MLS Reveals Apple TV Streaming Numbers, Raising Questions

The league gives a rare glimpse inside the high-profile streaming pact.
A Peacock sideline reporter holds a microphone with the NBC Peacock logo during Michigan State's football game against Washington on Saturday, Sept. 16, 2023, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing.
July 24, 2025

‘Unusual’: NBCU’s Surprise Interest in a New Cable Sports Network

Its previous channel NBCSN was shuttered less than four years ago.