Fox, Disney join forces to bundle new ESPN and FOX One streamers

ESPN and Fox are teaming up to offer a joint streaming deal that will combine their new direct-to-consumer services for $39.99 a month, starting Oct 2, according to an announcement on Monday.

The bundle will give subscribers access to a wide range of sports, news and entertainment content from both media giants.

The agreement links ESPN’s soon-to-launch subscription platform with FOX One, Fox Corp’s own streaming service which is set to launch on the same day.

Fox Corp. is sister company to The Post’s corporate parent News Corp.

Both the ESPN streaming service and FOX One will be available individually beginning Aug. 21, but the two companies are promoting the bundle as a better value for fans who want to access both without paying for traditional cable.

Sean Breen, executive vice president of Disney Platform Distribution, said in a joint statement that the collaboration was designed to make ESPN’s sports programming more widely available.

“Working with FOX One on this bundle offer allows us to bring ESPN’s world-class sports content to even more fans in a seamless and innovative way,” Breen said, calling it a reflection of the companies’ shared goal to meet viewers “anytime, anywhere.”

Tony Billetter, FOX Direct to Consumer’s senior vice president of strategy and business development, said ESPN was the first partner for FOX One and called the bundle an opportunity to deliver both value and convenience.

“Viewers will have access to an incredible portfolio of content through this bundle, including NFL, NBA, WNBA, MLB, NHL, College Football and Basketball, NASCAR, INDYCAR, UFC, as well as the upcoming FIFA World Cup,” Billetter said.

He added that the companies will continue to look for ways to make the streaming experience smoother, “especially for the ultimate sports fan.”

The ESPN platform will offer subscribers all of its main television channels, including ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, SEC Network, ACC Network, ESPNEWS and ESPN Deportes — plus ESPN on ABC.

The package also includes ESPN+, SEC Network+ and ACC Network Extra.

ESPN says the service will feature around 47,000 live events a year, along with replays, original programming, studio shows, and expanded NFL coverage.

FOX One, meanwhile, will gather live and on-demand content from across the company’s holdings into a single destination.

The lineup will include FOX News Channel, FOX Business Network, FOX Weather, FOX Sports, FS1, FS2, Big Ten Network, FOX Deportes, FOX’s local stations and the FOX broadcast network.

Users will also have the option to add FOX Nation and the Big Ten Network’s B1G+ streaming service to their subscriptions.

Fox says this is the first time viewers who have cut the cord — or never had a cable package — will be able to stream all of its properties live in one place.

The service is designed to adapt to each viewer, with technology developed by Tubi Media Group that personalizes recommendations and integrates live and on-demand programming.

The new deal comes less than a year after the collapse of Venu Sports, a high-profile joint venture between ESPN, Fox and Warner Bros. Discovery that was intended to offer a single sports-focused streaming subscription.

Announced in February 2024, Venu was designed to carry nearly all of the national sports rights held by the three partners — including games from ESPN, FOX, and TNT Sports — for about $42.99 a month.

Venu aimed to be a one-stop destination for cord-cutters, offering live games, studio shows and ESPN+ content, but excluding news and entertainment programming.

However, the project ran into antitrust trouble when competitor FuboTV sued, winning a preliminary injunction that blocked its launch.

A later settlement saw Disney acquire a 70% stake in a combined FuboTV and Hulu + Live TV business, easing Fubo’s concerns but raising new objections from satellite providers.

In January, the companies scrapped Venu before launch, saying it had become redundant amid emerging “skinny bundle” offerings from DirecTV, Comcast, and Fubo.

Instead, ESPN and Fox have shifted toward smaller-scale partnerships, including the new $39.99 bundle.

Industry observers see the ESPN/FOX package as a scaled-down revival of the Venu Sports idea — aggregating top-tier sports content in one subscription, but without Warner Bros. Discovery’s involvement and without the regulatory baggage that doomed the earlier venture.

Both companies are emphasizing that the new services are meant to give customers more flexibility.