Fubo isn’t giving up on its Venu-like sports bundle

Fubo is continuing its quest to cut a deal with sports broadcasters that can bring upon the holy grail of sports bundles later this year, just in time for football season. As reported by Deadline, Fubo CEO David Gandler said on an earnings call on Friday that the company is working hard to line up content from other broadcasters outside of Disney’s umbrella of sports content. When one analyst asked about how progress is going with a deal, Gandler only said that the service is a key “growth opportunity.” “It is critical for Fubo subscribers that we are able to negotiate content licensing agreements at fair rates and terms. Our goal remains to launch the service for the fall sports season,” Gandler said. Fubo’s ideal bundle would look a lot like the service that was in development last year called Venu Sports, a joint venture that was backed by Disney (part owner of Hulu), Fox, and Warner Bros. Discovery. Fubo sued to break up the Venu Sports party, alleging it was anticompetitive, but then settled with a $220 million payout from the companies and an agreement with Disney to merge Fubo into the Hulu Plus Live TV service. The deal is not expected to close until 2026. With the lawsuit out of the way, anything is possible in the sports bundle landscape, including a return of Venu Sports and a new one from Fubo. Other major players like NBCUniversal and Paramount (CBS) will also need to play ball to make the ultimate sports bundle happen.