The Venu Sports streaming service, a joint venture between ESPN, Warner Bros. Discovery, and Fox, has been blocked by a judge in response to concerns that its launch could violate antitrust laws.
The injunction, issued on August 19, 2024, came as part of a lawsuit filed by FuboTV, a sports-focused streaming service, which argued that it could face insolvency if Venu Sports is allowed to launch. In previous court filings, Fubo had stated that the arrival of Venu Sports would represent a significant threat to its business.
While Venu Sports had not yet announced a firm launch date, the company can appeal the ruling. Fubo attorneys have indicated their intention to continue with their lawsuit against Venu Sports.
"This is a significant victory for FuboTV and the competitive landscape of the sports streaming market," said a spokesperson for FuboTV. "We believe that the launch of Venu Sports would have created an unfair advantage for the participating companies and would have harmed competition."
Venu Sports has not yet publicly commented on the judge's decision.