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The planned service through Disney, Fox and Warner Bros. Discovery would charge $42. 99 per month and was aimed at enthusiasts who had abandoned cable television.
By Benjamin Mullin
A ruling issued an initial injunction against Disney, Fox and Warner Bros. on Friday. Discovery is linking itself to a sports-focused streaming service proposal 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 ends, at least for now, the companies’ ambitious plans for the service, called Venu, aimed at sports enthusiasts who had abandoned cable television. .
The service, which will be available this fall and costs $42. 99 per month, promised to offer flagship games from the National Football League, the National Basketball Association and Major League Baseball.
But the concept has alarmed competitors, including a sports streaming service called Fubo, which sued to block the creation of the new service after it was announced this year. In a complaint attached to its complaint, filed on February 20, Fubo alleged that Disney, Fox and Warner Bros. Discovery had “engaged in a long-standing strategy” of attempting to thwart its business through anti-competitive tactics.
The complaint led to a hearing this month that focused on whether Fubo could discharge an initial injunction against Venu, necessarily preventing the sports media company from filing a lawsuit.
In her ruling, Judge Margaret Garnett said Fubo would likely be successful in its claim that the new service would “significantly restrict and restrict trade. ” She added that refusing to grant the injunction can only limit the effectiveness of any injunction issued after a trial.
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