The Hollywood Elite are collaborating to create a massive streaming service dedicated to broadcasting sports.
The three media giants are slated to launch the new service in the fall. Subscribers would get access to linear sports networks including ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, SEC Network, ACC Network, ESPNews, ABC, Fox, FS1, FS2, BTN, TNT, TBS, truTV and ESPN+, as well as hundreds of hours from the NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL and many top college divisions.
Call me when I can watch the Rangers on it from within New York City.
This is heading in the right direction in that there will be fewer separate services for the audience to deal with. But they still haven’t solved all the problems of blackouts, pricing, etc.
Also, even if this is a hit, they won’t be able to ever rival the money they were making with cable television. All those people who paid for cable, but never watched sports, were subsidizing it for everyone else. Without those subsidies, it just can’t work any any price most people are willing and able to pay. Broadcasting live sporting events is an expensive endeavor.
You can now. The Texas Rangers 
A couple of updates.
The joint venture now has a name: Venu Sports
The service will cost $42.99 a month.
…I’d rather just buy an old-ass TV with rabbit ears.
Wow, that price is absolute insanity.
You think so? I think it’s quite reasonable, if they can truly offer what they are claiming. Access to all the nationally televised sporting events? The cheapest cable television package we can get is $85/month. YouTube TV is $60+/month.
If you only want live television for sports, here you go. All the sports, and just the sports, cheaper than the other legal alternatives.
What this really tells you is that if you pay $85 for cable. Half of that was just for sports. People not watching sports are getting hosed. This whole model only works because people are subsidizing each other by paying for things they don’t watch. That’s why the streaming services keep combining, bundling, and raising prices.
It’s good, but it’s not good.
Good that they’re not letting some monopoly happen.
Bad because this is actually what consumers want, and is best for consumers. An inexpensive way to pay for all the live sports, and nothing else.