U.S. Judge Blocks Launch of Venu Sports

A federal judge has granted a preliminary injunction that blocks the launch of Venu Sports, a joint sports streaming service from Disney, Fox, and Warner Bros. Discovery, following an antitrust lawsuit filed by FuboTV. The court found that Fubo was likely to succeed in proving that the joint venture would violate antitrust laws and cause irreparable harm to both Fubo and consumers. Fubo alleged that the collaboration would create a monopoly in the sports media market, diminishing competition and harming smaller competitors. Despite the ruling, the companies plan to appeal, maintaining that Venu Sports is a pro-competitive option aimed at enhancing consumer choice. The service, which was set to be launched soon at a price of $42.99 per month, would have included offerings from numerous sports channels. Fubo's stock rose by 16% following the news of the injunction, which was viewed as a victory for consumers and competition in the streaming market.