The joint venture sports streaming app between ESPN, Fox and WarnerBros Discovery, which owns TNT, may go by a familiar name: Hulu Sports. The platform will have live TV coverage of several channels that come from those three entities. Therefore, the ESPN lineup of channels, FS1, FS2, TNT and TBS will be available in one package. Also, channels like ABC and FOX would be available. Details for the streaming service are still somewhat mute. Regardless, more information continues to come to light about the joint venture prospect.
According to The Desk, Hulu Sports is on the shortlist of potential names for the platform. There is no indication of other potential names, but Hulu Sports would make sense given the nature of the package. Executives at ESPN, FOX and WarnerBros Discovery note that people already associate the Hulu name with cord-cutting. Originally, Hulu debuted in 2007 as a joint venture between Disney, Fox and NBC Universal. Subscribers could watch on-demand shows the day after they aired on cable TV networks. After buying Fox’s shares, Disney is the majority owner of Hulu, and it is working to acquire full ownership from Comcast.
At launch, this service that focuses on sports will follow the same trend as those three companies in 2007. ESPN, Fox and WarnerBros Discovery will each own one-third of the service. If it is Hulu Sports, the name may help the popularity of Disney’s Hulu streaming service. The company has shown a willingness to license the name to make it easier for viewers to associate Hulu Sports with TV channels.
Hulu Sports would be integral for all sports, including soccer
With access to ABC, FOX and the aforementioned TV channels that are usually only on cable, the sports content on this platform will be unrivaled. For American sports, Hulu Sports will have access to the NFL via Fox and ESPN, NBA and NHL from ESPN and TNT and MLB from each of the three. Finally, Major League Soccer has select games available on FOX, which will be part of the platform. Regional Sports Networks would still play a role in team-by-team coverage. Yet, national coverage of the five leagues in the United States will be available on the streaming service.
For soccer, the benefits of Hulu Sports may not be as clear. Most of the top competitions are exclusive to streaming on different services. Paramount+ has coverage of the UEFA Champions League and Serie A. ESPN+ covers the Bundesliga and LaLiga, as well as several cup and league competitions in England. Regardless, there is still ample soccer content that airs on the TV channels via Hulu Sports.
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ESPN has put select games from the FA Cup, Bundesliga or LaLiga on either ABC or a channel like ESPN or ESPN2. Likewise, TNT houses games involving the USMNT and USWNT as part of the deal between US Soccer and Turner Sports. Finally, Fox’s offering of international soccer stands out in this deal. Not only does this mean the Copa America, European Championship and Gold Cup will be on this joint venture. The World Cup, which airs entirely on FOX and Fox Sports 1, will be a part of this offering.
No price confirmed yet
Even though the three media companies are working toward a name, there is no indication of what the price will be per month. Streaming services have regularly risen in price in recent years as cord-cutting becomes more commonplace.
Estimates place the potential monthly subscription for Hulu Sports at around or over $50 per month. The service debuts in the fall of 2024.
PHOTO: IMAGO.
