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☆ Disney's plans to future-proof its TV business could help kill the cable bundle even faster than expected
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-20 | by ( James Faris | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Discovery to form sports streaming service Venu, which promised to offer access to tons of live sports at less than half the cost of traditional cable bundles. Unlike ESPN+, this service will have all of ESPN's content, including Monday Night Football games and shows like "First Take." Disney is doing everything it can to make sure it's not in the same boat — hence its investments in projects like Venu and ESPN Flagship. Despite that drawback, Nollen is optimistic about ESPN Flagship. If ESPN Flagship hits those milestones, it can fully offset the losses from pay TV, which it will — ironically — be partially responsible for.

Persons: —, Venu, Tim Nollen, Nollen, Fubo, Venu Sports, Craig Moffett, Michael Nathanson, MoffettNathanson, Margaret Garnett, Garnett, It's, Peacock Organizations: Service, Disney, Media, Business, Netflix, Fox, Warner Bros, ESPN, Football, US, DirecTV, ESPN Flagship, Paramount, NBC, CBS Locations: skinnier

☆ David Zaslav risked Warner Bros. Discovery's future by passing on the NBA — and the gamble might pay off
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-14 | by ( James Faris | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

NBA rights proved to be a hotter commodity than many expected — seemingly including WBD CEO David Zaslav. The Charter deal is a coup for WBDWall Street has had little confidence in Zaslav and company lately. AdvertisementAfter the news that WBD had done just that with Charter, Greenfield heaped praise on WBD. As great as WBD's deal with Charter may be, Greenfield doesn't believe Zaslav is out of the woods. If Zaslav surprises the Street again with his Comcast deal, his company may have better days ahead.

Persons: —, David Zaslav, NBCU, WBD's, Max —, WBD, Rich Greenfield, LightShed, Greenfield, Turner, Craig Moffett, MoffettNathanson, Moffett, Zaslav, Brian Roberts, Matt Belloni, Greenfield doesn't, Comcast's NBCU, Charter's, Venu, Brandon Ross Organizations: Service, Warner, NBA, Business, TNT, HGTV, Food Network, Comcast, DirecTV, Warner Bros, WBD, Charter, NBC Universal, Zaslav, Puck News, —, Disney Locations: Zaslav

To help you decide whether ESPN Plus is right for your needs, we've answered all of your pressing questions, including how much is ESPN Plus and any available deals on subscriptions. ESPN Plus (Monthly Plan) ESPN Plus is designed for sports, giving subscribers access to live MLB, NHL, NFL, soccer, golf, and UFC fights. Hulu + Live TV Hulu + Live TV includes over 90 channels, along with Hulu's on-demand library and access to Disney Plus and ESPN Plus. If you already have a Hulu or Disney Plus subscription, your MyDisney account login information will be the same for ESPN Plus. Instead of launching a separate service, all ESPN Plus content is unlocked in the ESPN app once you subscribe.

Persons: we've, There's, Peyton Manning, What's, Hulu's, you'll, Venu, —, Fubo Organizations: Business, ESPN, ESPN Plus, NBA, MLB, NHL, NFL, UFC, Hulu, Disney Plus, Disney, ABC, ESPN3, ESPN2, ESPN ESPN, Fire, Apple, Google, Fox, Warner Bros, Discovery, TNT, TBS

☆ DirecTV is now paying customers to subscribe to competitors as Disney battle escalates
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-09 | by ( Jordan Valinsky | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN —DirecTV wants its customers to stick with the service during an increasingly nasty dispute with Disney that threatens to black out tonight’s “Monday Night Football” game. So DirecTV developed an unusual strategy: It’s paying customers to subscribe to a rival. Affected customers of DirecTV, DirecTV Stream and U-Verse can get a free weeklong trial of Fubo for two of its packages that carry ESPN and Disney networks and an additional $30 off the first month of service. DirecTV is also giving its customers a $30 credit to sign up for Sling’s orange tier that includes ESPN channels. DirecTV said the deals are a “small way” to help customers while its fight over the expired distribution agreement with Disney stretches into a second week.

Persons: “ Disney, Venu ’, ’, Venu Sports, Fubo, Kamala Harris, Donald Trump, “, ’ ”, DirecTV’s, – CNN’s Robert Ilich Organizations: New, New York CNN, DirecTV, Disney, Sling, Dish Network, ABC, ESPN, Sunday, Federal Communications Commission, Fox Corp, Warner Bros, CNN, NFL Locations: New York

☆ DirecTV files FCC complaint against Disney amid blackout
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-08 | by ( Robert Ilich | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —DirecTV filed a complaint Saturday with the Federal Communications Commission alleging Disney did not negotiate in good faith as the two sides remain at an impasse on a distribution deal. ESPN owns the broadcast rights to “Monday Night Football,” which will be blacked out for DirecTV subscribers unless a deal is reached. “We continue to negotiate with DirecTV to restore access to our content as quickly as possible,” a Disney spokesperson told CNN on Sunday. The opening game for “Monday Night Football” features the New York Jets and San Francisco 49ers. The blackout also includes ESPN’s suite of channels and the Disney Channel, Disney Jr., FX and National Geographic.

Persons: Disney, “ Disney, Venu ’, ’ ”, Venu Sports, Kamala Harris, Donald Trump, “, San Francisco — Organizations: CNN — DirecTV, Federal Communications Commission, Disney, DirecTV, CNN, Fox Corporation, Warner Brothers Discovery, ABC, ESPN, NFL, Monday, New York Jets, San Francisco 49ers, Buffalo Bills, Jets, Disney Channel, Disney Jr, Geographic Locations: New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, Houston, San, Fresno , California, Raleigh , North Carolina

☆ DirecTV is on the warpath against Disney in a battle it says is existential for cable TV
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-27 | by ( James Faris | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

They really just want to disintermediate all of pay TV and drive everyone to themselves. Fresh off a vicarious victory over Disney, Thun is still looking for revenge. For DirecTV, it's skinny bundles or bustDirecTV believes these strict bundling requirements are to blame for putting pay TV on life support. Disney is "completely responsible" for the fall of pay TV, Pachter said, "because they think the only direction that retransmission fees should go is up." Without skinny bundles, pay TV is 'going to die'If skinnier bundles can't solve pay TV's woes, it's unclear what could.

Persons: —, Venu Sports, Venu, Rob Thun, Thun, Venu didn't, DirecTV's, Geo, They've, Venu wouldn't, Margaret Garnett, I'm, Michael Pachter, he'd, Pachter, Brian Wieser, Puck's John Ourand, Rich Greenfield, Greenfield, — we're, Wieser Organizations: Service, Disney, Fox, Warner Bros ., DirecTV, Business, ESPN, balk, YouTube, Wedbush Securities, Madison, Cable, Paramount, LightShed Partners, Charter Locations: Thun, Wall

☆ Judge temporarily blocks sports streaming service Venu, siding with Fubo on antitrust concerns
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-16 | by ( Lillian Rizzo | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Discovery and Fox from launching their sports streaming service, Venu, according to court filings. The temporary injunction, granted in response to a lawsuit brought by Fubo TV , comes just weeks ahead of the start of the National Football League season. Fubo, an internet TV bundle akin to the traditional pay TV package, alleged in its lawsuit that Venu was anticompetitive and would upend its business. Discovery, Fox and Disney's ESPN announced the formation of the joint venture streaming service in February. On Friday, Fubo said it intends to move forward with its antitrust lawsuit against the companies for their anticompetitive practices.

Persons: Venu, David Gandler, Fubo, Sen, Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, Joaquin Castro, Venu Sports, Judge Margaret Garnett, Garnett, " Garnett Organizations: NFL, ESPN, Chicago Bears, Minnesota Vikings, Soldier, Disney, Warner Bros . Discovery, Fox, Fubo TV, National Football League, Warner Bros, Discovery, Disney's ESPN, National Basketball Association, National Hockey League, Major League Baseball, ABC, TNT, TBS, Paramount, CBS, NBC Locations: Chicago, U.S, Texas

☆ How David Zaslav can save Warner Bros. Discovery as the cable bundle collapses, according to a top media analyst
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-14 | by ( James Faris | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

AdvertisementThose moves show just how rapidly the cable TV business is unraveling. WBD's direct-to-consumer segment still loses money, and its streaming revenue actually declined 6% from last year — even though Max added 3.7 million subscribers. WBD added 3.9 million streaming subscribers abroad last quarter, thanks to its rollout across Europe ahead of the Olympics, which the company broadcasts outside the US. If that service attracts enough cord-cutters, it could help stop the bleeding in WBD's fast-declining pay TV business in a best-case scenario. Join forces with other media firmsAdvertisementAlthough WBD is struggling as the pay-TV business shrinks, the silver lining is that it's not alone.

Persons: —, David Zaslav, Patience, WBD wasn't, Max, Fox —, Tim Nollen, WBD, Nollen, Venu, NBA would've, it's Organizations: Service, Warner Bros, Business, Paramount, Macquarie Research, Disney, NBA, Comcast's NBC, MLB, NHL, TNT, TBS, Max, Hulu Locations: WBD, Europe, Latin America

☆ Sports streaming venture Venu priced at $42.99 a month
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-01 | by ( Lillian Rizzo | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Venu Sports, the sports streaming joint venture between Disney's ESPN, Warner Bros. The high-end pricing — common in direct-to-consumer sports streaming services — was expected in part so it wouldn't shake up any carriage agreements with traditional pay TV distributors. Live sports remain the highest rated TV programming and are the most costly part of the pay TV bundle. Users who sign up for Venu at $42.99 a month will have access to that entry pricing for 12 months, Venu noted Thursday — signaling there could be price increases ahead. The upcoming bundle will be priced at $16.99 a month with ads, and $29.99 a month ad-free.

Persons: Venu Sports, Venu, Pete Distad, Distad Organizations: NFL, ESPN, Chicago Bears, Minnesota Vikings, Soldier, Disney's ESPN, Warner Bros . Discovery, Fox Corp, Venu Sports, Fox, Sunday NFL, Monday, Football, CNBC, Apple, Hulu, NBA, NHL, MLB, ABC, TNT, TBS, Disney, Warner Bros, Max Locations: Chicago, U.S

☆ Venu, a $42.99 per month sports streamer, has a tough marketing challenge to find an audience
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-01 | by ( Alex Sherman | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Call Don Draper, Venu Sports may have a marketing problemThe Disney , Fox and Warner Bros. Discovery jointly-owned streaming service said Thursday it will launch this fall at $42.99 per month. That's much more expensive than Netflix , Max, Peacock or any other major subscription streaming service. Venu will give consumers access to a bundle of networks: ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, SECN, ACCN, ESPNEWS, ABC, Fox, FS1, FS2, BTN, TNT, TBS, and truTV. They could also get a digital antenna to pair with Venu, but antenna uptake among younger viewers may be a tad oxymoronic.

Persons: Don Draper, Venu, Max, Peacock, haven't, Kantar, CBS —, — Organizations: Disney, Fox, Warner Bros . Discovery, Netflix, ESPN, ESPN2, ABC, TNT, TBS, truTV, CBS, NBC, NFL, YouTube, Paramount

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