RIP to the all-virtual streaming service Venu Sports

Which is long awaited no longer happens, And others. The sports-focused streaming service was slated to be a joint offering between Disney and Warner Bros. Entertainment. Discovery and Fox. There was no specific reason, other than corporate talk.

“In an ever-changing market, we decided it was best to meet the evolving demands of sports fans by focusing on existing products and distribution channels,” the companies wrote in a statement.

We assume the move will also involve some serious layoffs, since Venus has been leaking for a while. To that end, the companies said they are “proud of the work done at Venu to date and grateful to Venu’s employees, whom we will support during this transition period.” There are no details about what this support will include.

The real reason for the closure is likely ongoing legal problems. Just as one threat disappeared this week, along with Fubo And another appeared in his place. Days after Disney announced a deal to merge Hulu + Live TV with Fubo, the two satellite TV companies A pre-existing court order does so .

DirecTV and EchoStar suggested that the new friendship between Fubo and Disney does not solve the alleged antitrust issues surrounding Venu Sports. DirecTV wrote to the judge, saying the joint venture “restores an anticompetitive runway” for companies “to control the future of the live pay TV market.” EchoStar wrote a similar message.

An unnamed source familiar with Venu Sports said Hollywood Reporter That the move to cancel the streaming service took place in the past few days and that the aforementioned legal confusion played a role.