Fubo sues Disney, Fox, Warner Bros. over joint sports streaming venture

Live TV streaming platform Fubo is suing Disney, Fox Corp. and Warner Bros. Discovery over a planned joint streaming venture that would offer live games to consumers.

In a lawsuit filed in federal court in New York on Tuesday, Fubo argued the companies have "engaged in a long-running pattern of stymying Fubo’s sports-first streaming service by engaging in anti-competitive practices."

Founded nine years ago, Fubo offers consumers a sports-first package of live TV streaming channels that it bills as a less expensive alternative to traditional cable bundles.

Fubo said the planned venture, which each company would own a third of, "is simply the latest coordinated step" in an effort "to eliminate competition in the sports-first streaming market and capture this market for themselves."

Earlier this month, the three media conglomerates announced that they had partnered on a new sports streaming service, which has yet to be named, but would be available to subscribers of ESPN+, Hulu and Max.

Live sports remain one of the surest drivers of audience for each of the media companies involved in the joint venture, and Fubo's lawsuit is the first major challenge to the mammoth deal.