Disney, Warner Bros. Discovery, and Fox have hit yet another roadblock. Their motion to dismiss a Fubo TV lawsuit has been denied. Fox also tried to move the case to a California court, and that was also denied.
Fubo TV has been in court a couple of times now against the upcoming Venu Sports streaming channel co-owned by the three studios as they try to dismiss Fubo’s antitrust claims against them.
Why is Fubo TV trying to stop Venu Sports?
The heart of the issue is that Fubo TV argues that the three networks own at least 50% streaming rights to live games and matches. Anyone who wants access will have to pay a premium to the networks, which requires companies like Fubo TV to bundle sports with other non-sports channels.
Fubo TV also argues that the end result is that companies like them will need to offer their channel at much higher prices than Venu Sports, due to the non-sports channels they will be forced to pay for. Sports package customers might not want the extra channels, and the higher costs associated with the extra channels give the trio’s sports-centric channel a competitive edge and likely a lower price point.
Fubo TV already won an injunction.
Previously, Fubo TV took the joint venture to court and won an injunction to stop Venu Sports from launching last Fall.
Judge Margaret Garnett previously issued an injunction against Venu Sports, and now she has shot down the motion to dismiss the case. From here, it will move on to discovery ahead of the October 7, 2025 date.
Disney, Warner Bros. Discovery, and Fox do have one more hearing scheduled with the Second Circuit Court of Appeals at the beginning of 2025. This means that the trio could still move forward on their Venu Sports launch if the outcome is in their favor.
What do you think? Comment and let us know!
Source: Awful Announcing
Pirates & Princesses (TM) (Stylized as PNP) is an independent, opinionated News and Information site focused on Travel, Entertainment, Fashion, the “Geek Girl” Lifestyle, and more. We focus heavily on Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Universal Orlando Resort, and other themed entertainment and travel destinations. Our news staff includes former theme park and entertainment industry employees, journalists and dedicated pop culture and theme park enthusiasts. Opinions expressed by contributors do not necessarily reflect the views of this site, our affiliates or our sponsors.