DOJ Sports Streaming and Regional Sports Networks Review

Live sports rights are sold exclusively. Disney, Fox, and Warner Bros. Discovery tried to pool some of those rights in one app, Venu.

Fubo, a sports-heavy streamer, sued and won an injunction that stopped the launch.

The partners cancelled Venu on 10 January 2025 as part of the settlement path. Disney then combined Hulu + Live TV with Fubo.

The Justice Department reviewed that combination and cleared it. The deal closed in late October 2025.

Blackouts on local games still exist because of older regional-sports contracts. Those contracts are not this case. This case was about Venu, and Venu never launched.

Sports blackouts are competition issues—not just annoying bugs—when exclusive contracts block rival distributors.

RSN collapse shows how legacy bundling can leave fans with no legal way to watch.

Streaming joint ventures by leagues may help or hurt depending on whether they exclude independent platforms.

Antitrust outcomes could reshape how much you pay to follow one team.

Exclusive territorial licenses foreclose alternative streaming distribution.

Vertical integration between leagues, RSNs, and national networks raises rival costs.

Long-term contracts survive market shifts and harm consumers denied a la carte access.

Joint selling arrangements may coordinate pricing across teams or regions.

Leagues say exclusivity maximizes revenue that supports athletes and grassroots programs.

Networks argue they invested in RSN infrastructure and deserve contract enforcement.

They contend new apps complement—not replace—traditional bundles.

Some teams prefer local ownership of media rights for community ties.

Venu is not a service you can subscribe to. It was cancelled.

Local-game blackouts can still come from older regional contracts. That is a different problem from this closed file.

Hulu + Live TV and Fubo are one company after the October 2025 close.