Federal judge grants preliminary injunction on joint sports streaming venture

A federal judge on Friday granted a preliminary injunction in favor of the small sports streaming service Fubo, by blocking the launch of the new joint streaming service Venu Sports, from Warner Bros. Discovery, Disney, and the Fox Corporation.

Fubo filed the lawsuit against Venu Sports in February, claiming it would give Warner Bros, Disney, and Fox a monopoly on the sports media market because they would be joining together instead of working as competitors, and a joint venture would edge out other smaller competitors as well. 

U.S. District Judge Margaret Garnett determined that Fubo's efforts would likely be successful, and granted the preliminary injunction just before the start of the professional football season.

“It appears to the Court that Fubo is likely to succeed on its claims that by entering into the [joint venture], the [joint venture] Defendants will substantially lessen competition and restrain trade in the relevant market,” Garnett wrote in her ruling, per CNN. "It also appears that a balance of equities tips decidedly in favor of Plaintiffs and the public interest would be served by the entering of a preliminary injunction."

Disney, Fox, and Warner Bros. said they disagree with the judge's ruling in a joint statement, and that they plan to appeal.

“We believe that Fubo’s arguments are wrong on the facts and the law, and that Fubo has failed to prove it is legally entitled to a preliminary injunction," the statement said. "Venu Sports is a pro-competitive option that aims to enhance consumer choice by reaching a segment of viewers who currently are not served by existing subscription options.”

The new venture would have given consumers access to various professional sports, including football, basketball, baseball, hockey, and soccer, including FIFA World Cup games. It also would have included golf tournaments, wrestling matches, and NASCAR races, for a monthly fee of $42.99.

Misty Severi is an evening news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.