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Streaming Shake-Up: Disney Merging Hulu + Live TV with Fubo, Venu Sports Abandoned

Hulu and Fubo logos on a TV graphic.

The Walt Disney Company kicked off 2025 with a game-changing announcement: Hulu + Live TV is merging with Fubo. Disney will hold a majority stake in the combined company, which will operate under the Fubo name (NYSE: FUBO) and leadership.

For now, Fubo and Hulu + Live TV will remain separate streaming options for consumers. But the merger raises questions about how the new company will stack up against competitors like YouTube TV and Sling TV.

The news also marks the end of Fubo’s legal battles with Disney, FOX, and Warner Bros. Discovery over the planned Venu Sports streaming service. With the deal, Fubo has settled all related lawsuits with each company.

How Disney’s merger with Fubo affects consumers

Existing Fubo and Hulu + Live TV subscribers won’t notice significant changes any time soon, but the deal should bolster both services.

In a press release, Disney and Fubo emphasized how the deal will “provide consumers with greater choice and flexibility.” A key example is a new carriage agreement allowing Fubo to launch a “Sports & Broadcast” service featuring Disney’s top sports and broadcast networks, including ESPN+.

The combined company could also negotiate stronger carriage agreements that benefit all subscribers. Currently, Hulu + Live TV offers far fewer channels than Fubo, but Fubo is missing crucial networks that Hulu + Live TV carries.

Can Disney solve Fubo’s shortcomings?

Promoted as a sports-centric streaming service, Fubo has struggled as leagues and competitions have shifted to exclusively appearing on competitor platforms.

Adding ESPN+ to Fubo would significantly expand its sports content, offering access to everything from out-of-market NHL games to all La Liga matches. However, the specifics and timeline for these additions remain unclear.

NHL on ESPN Plus promotional image.
ESPN+ is the exclusive streaming home of out-of-market NHL games in the U.S. (Image credit: ESPN+)

Another positive outcome of the new deal for Fubo is the potential return of Warner Bros. Discovery channels, particularly TNT Sports, which Fubo dropped in June 2020.

The joint press release mentions that the merged company will negotiate carriage deals for both services separately from Disney. But it opens up the possibility for Fubo to secure a new agreement for channels like TBS, TNT, and truTV, which are essential for watching key NBA, NHL, and March Madness games.

Venu Sports shelved by Disney, FOX, and WBD

Many speculated on the fate of Venu Sports following the dismissal of Fubo’s initial claims. But on Friday, ESPN, FOX, and Warner Bros. Discovery issued a joint statement signaling the end of the Venu streaming service effective immediately.

“After careful consideration, we have collectively agreed to discontinue the Venu Sports joint venture and not launch the streaming service. In an ever-changing marketplace, we determined that it was best to meet the evolving demands of sports fans by focusing on existing products and distribution channels. We are proud of the work that has been done on Venu to date and grateful to the Venu staff, whom we will support through this transition period.”

Antitrust concerns fade with Venu Sports’ demise

A day before the statement’s release, the possibility of Venu Sports launching appeared to regain momentum. It even prompted lawyers for DIRECTV and EchoStar to request a U.S. district judge to reaffirm the original preliminary injunction against Venu on anti-competitive grounds.

“Through the settlement and acquisition, the defendants have purchased their way out of their antitrust violation,” wrote EchoStar lawyers in a letter to the court. (EchoStar is the telecommunications company behind DISH and Sling TV.)

DIRECTV lawyers sided with EchoStar, raising concerns in a separate letter “about the impact Venu would have on competition for sports programming.”

The end of Venu Sports is a win for DIRECTV, DISH, and other TV service providers that opposed the venture. However, Fubo’s merger with Hulu + Live TV complicates the narrative by reshaping an already fragile TV landscape.

For Fubo subscribers, though, the future looks promising. With Disney’s backing and an infusion of resources, the platform should evolve into a stronger and more competitive service.

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