Streaming Wars Take a Wild Turn: Fubo Floors Fox and Disney In Court

I'll admit it—I usually only tune in to court cases if Judge Judy’s about to drop the gavel. But when Disney's in the mix with billions on the line? You can bet I'll hit pause on my Olympic breakdancing marathon to catch all the juicy details.

Well, here’s the play-by-play: Fubo TV, the little sports streamer that’s taking over, just won a federal court battle to temporarily block the launch of Venu Sports—a streaming service backed by Disney, Fox, and Warner Bros. Discovery. 

It turns out the media big boys that practically own every sports broadcast this side of the Mississippi were set to launch a shiny new sports-only app. But Fubo wasn’t having it, and now the whole thing is on hold, possibly until 2025.

Venu Sports was supposed to be the next big thing—a $43 per month sports streaming service offering everything from NBA games to college football. The idea was simple: bundle up all the sports you love into one neat package and rake in the subscribers before the NFL season kicks off. But Fubo saw that high rollin’ bundle as a major threat. They argued that it would completely wipe them off the map, with their CEO, David Gandler, going full on bad news bears, saying Fubo would be “bankrupt by the first quarter of next year” without the block. 

A New York federal judge didn’t just pump the brakes on Venu’s launch—she pulled the emergency chord, sending Fubo’s stock into a 17% surprise victory lap. Now, Disney, Fox, and Warner Bros. are left sweating it out, potentially facing a multimillion-dollar mess. And if that weren’t enough, remember Warner Bros. and Discovery are still feeling the sting after losing the NBA broadcast rights and, in what must be the world's most expensive "oops," accidentally misplacing $9 billion in a write-down. Maybe they should hire an accountant who can count past ten but that’s just my opinion. This courtroom drama is shaping up to feel like an episode from Hell’s Kitchen. 

Here’s the thing. This win isn’t just about delaying the competition—it’s survival of the fittest. Fubo’s whole business model is like a virtual cable company, offering every network under the sun for $80-$100 a month. But Venu was gunning for Fubo’s bread and butter: sports. If Venu had launched on time, it wouldn’t be long until Fubo was watching from the sidelines.

Fubo’s not out of the woods yet, though. The judge’s ruling is temporary, and the heavy hitters at Disney, Fox, and Warner Bros. are likely gearing up for round two. They’ve already announced plans to appeal, claiming that Venu Sports is a “pro-competitive option” that’s actually good for consumers. Yeah, and I’m the Easter Bunny. Let’s be real—this is all about market dominance. Fubo’s victory may be as short lived as my wife’s budget at TJ Maxx, unless they can pull off another legal miracle.

But here’s the bottom line—Fubo’s got some breathing room, and their investors are celebrating like it’s the Super Bowl. That said, his story is far from over. With the streaming giants regrouping, and the appeal process looming, Fubo might need to channel their inner Steph Curry from the Olympics to stay in this fight. 

One thing’s for sure: the streaming wars just got a whole lot more interesting, and I’m all in on the underdog.

Stocks.News holds positions in Fubo, Disney, Warner Brothers, and Fox.