In a major development sports media, Disney's ESPN, Fox, and Warner Bros. Discovery have reached an agreement to form a new joint venture aimed at building a sports streaming service. The platform, scheduled to launch in the fall of 2024, will aggregate the companies’ sports networks, certain direct-to-consumer (DTC) sports services, and sports content from major professional leagues and college sports.

The service will be available directly to consumers via a new app. Subscribers will have the option to bundle the product with Disney+, Hulu, and/or Max. The platform aims to offer an extensive lineup of sports content, targeting sports fans, particularly those outside the traditional pay TV bundle.

Each entity will own one-third of the JV, have equal board representation, and license their sports content to the joint venture on a non-exclusive basis. The service will operate under a new brand with an independent management team. More details, including pricing, will be announced at a later date.

Bob Iger, Chief Executive Officer of The Walt Disney Company, said, "The launch of this new streaming sports service is a significant moment for Disney and ESPN, a major win for sports fans, and an important step forward for the media business. This means the full suite of ESPN channels will be available to consumers alongside the sports programming of other industry leaders as part of a differentiated sports-centric service. I’m grateful to Jimmy Pitaro and the team at ESPN, who are at the forefront of innovating on behalf of consumers to create new offerings with more choice and greater value."

Lachlan Murdoch, Executive Chair and Chief Executive Officer of FOX, expressed his excitement, stating, "We’re pumped to bring the FOX Sports portfolio to this new and exciting platform. We believe the service will provide passionate fans outside of the traditional bundle an array of amazing sports content all in one place."

David Zaslav, Chief Executive Officer of Warner Bros. Discovery, echoed these sentiments, saying, "At WBD, our ambition is always to connect our leading content and brands with as many viewers as possible, and this exciting joint venture and the unparalleled combination of marquee sports rights and access to the greatest sporting events in the world allows us to do just that. This new sports service exemplifies our ability as an industry to drive innovation and provide consumers with more choice, enjoyment and value and we’re thrilled to deliver it to sports fans."