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The service planned through Disney, Fox and Warner Bros. Discovery cost $42. 99 per month and was aimed at enthusiasts who had ditched cable TV.
By Benjamin Mullin
A ruling issued Friday issued an initial injunction against Disney, Fox and Warner Bros. Discovery in connection with a sports-focused streaming service proposed by the companies, saying the joint venture would likely make the sports viewing market less competitive.
The 69-page ruling of a federal ruling in the Southern District of New York puts an end, at least for now, to the companies’ ambitious plans for the service, called Venu, aimed at sports enthusiasts who had abandoned television for wire. .
The service, which will be available this fall and costs $42. 99 per month, promised to offer featured games from the National Football League, the National Basketball Association and Major League Baseball.
But the concept has alarmed its competitors, adding a sports streaming service called Fubo, which filed a lawsuit to block the creation of a new service after its announcement this year. In an accompanying complaint, filed on Feb. 20, Fubo alleged that Disney, Fox and Warner Bros. had “engaged in a long-standing strategy” of attempting to thwart their activities through anti-competitive tactics.
The complaint led to a hearing this month on whether Fubo deserves to be able to discharge an initial injunction against Venu, which necessarily prevents the sports media company from proceeding.
In her ruling, Judge Margaret Garnett said Fubo would likely succeed in its claim that the new service would “significantly feast and limit trade. “He added that refusing to grant the injunction could simply limit the effectiveness of any injunction issued after a trial. .
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