Fubo / Venu Lawsuit Resolved with a Surprising Twist

In the September 2024 edition of our Media Impact Report, we reported on the lawsuit by Fubo that delayed—and potentially threatened—the launch of the sports streaming platform Venu. Venu was a joint venture between powerhouses Disney, Warner Bros. Discovery, and FOX that was intended to capture the growing opportunity in streaming sports. Two major announcements in January have put an end to the lawsuit in dramatic fashion.

On January 6, Disney announced that it was acquiring a 70% stake in Fubo and combining it with their Hulu + Live TV MVPD. Fubo agreed to drop the lawsuit against Venu’s owners as part of the transaction, along with a $220 million cash payment from Disney, WBD, and FOX. Then just days later, Venu’s owners announced that they were discontinuing the service before it ever launched. “In an ever-changing marketplace, we determined that it was best to meet the evolving demands of sports fans by focusing on existing products and distribution channels,” the companies said in a statement. Farewell Venu, we never knew you.

This article is featured in Media Impact Report No. 61. View the full report here.