The flirtation between ESPN and Fox Sports regarding a streaming service collaboration has concluded for now. Following the collapse of their Venu Sports service with TNT Sports and ongoing speculation about including Fox and FS1 programming on ESPN’s upcoming subscription app, Puck’s John Ourand reports that the Worldwide Leader is no longer in negotiations to license Fox Sports content for its streaming venture.
“It’s possible that eventually Fox’s streaming strategy will involve selling its own branded bundles to various streamers, but I’m told that ESPN’s D.T.C. launch this fall won’t include Fox programming,” Ourand wrote in his subscription newsletter on Friday. Instead, Fox seems to be building its own service after pivoting from Venu last month. Ourand highlights that the definitive end of a potential ESPN-Fox partnership was signaled during a February earnings call where News Corp chairman Lachlan Murdoch stated that Fox plans to launch a streaming platform by the end of 2025.
Historically, Fox was viewed as a sensible licensing partner amid other sports streamers, having largely abstained from the “streaming wars” of the late 2010s and early 2020s. The company even divested its regional sports networks and cable networks in a 2019 deal with Disney. Nevertheless, Fox continues to host many of America’s premier sports events, including its America’s Game of the Week NFL package, World Series, FIFA World Cup, and Daytona 500, along with the FS1 studio lineup, creating a robust offer for sports enthusiasts. Additionally, Fox may find opportunities to bundle its news and sports programming on its own platform.
The saturation of streaming options and escalating prices for subscribers have led many to anticipate impending consolidation. However, for the time being, it appears that ESPN and Fox will chart their own independent paths.
