On February 21, FuboTV, a sports-themed streaming service, announced that it had filed an antitrust lawsuit against Warner Bros, Fox and Walt Disney who jointly planned to introduce a sports streaming platform.
FuboTV alleged that the media behemoths had engaged in anti-competitive practices to block its growth. The streaming service went on to state that it was being forced by the media companies to carry ‘dozens of non-sports channels’, as a condition of licensing.
FuboTV also alleged that the media companies charged fees that were as much as 30 to 50 percent higher than the rates they charged other distributors. And, this latest move to launch a sports streamer is to capture the market all for themselves.
Read More: Disney, Fox and Warner Bros Discovery unite to launch new sports streaming service
In February, Fox Corp, Walt Disney’s ESPN and Warner Bros Discovery had announced that they were going to launch a new combined sports streamer in 2024, to capture younger audiences who are not consumers of linear television. The new streaming service will combine 14 linear networks and is expected to be priced at above $40 per month.
The media companies will form a joint venture to create a new streaming product from their portfolio of sports rights, which include the NFL, the NBA, Major League Baseball and FIFA World Cup.
Read More: ESPN, Fox and Warner Bros reviewing CEO candidates for new streaming venture