DirecTV opposes dismissal of Venu Sports lawsuit post Hulu/Fubo merger

DirecTV is raising concerns about the recent dismissal of legal proceedings against Venu Sports, a joint venture sports streaming platform involving ESPN, Fox, and Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD). This decision came after Disney acquired the streaming service FuboTV, which initially filed the lawsuit back in February 2024.

In a letter addressed to Judge Margaret M. Garrett of the District Court for the Southern District of New York, DirecTV and EchoStar argued that the dismissal of the case, requested by Fubo following its acquisition, does not address the underlying antitrust violations identified by the Court and the DOJ. According to DirecTV, this move by Disney aims to evade judicial review of the anticompetitive actions of Venu and its shareholders, at the expense of fans, public institutions, leagues, conferences, teams, and players.

DirecTV urged Judge Garrett not to dismiss the case or vacate any prior rulings, pointing out Disney’s attempt to eliminate the competitor that raised these antitrust concerns to the Court. Recently, Disney announced its acquisition of Fubo and revealed plans to integrate the sports-focused platform with its Hulu + Live TV service.

Fubo had been a vocal critic of Venu Sports and successfully obtained an injunction against its launch after filing the lawsuit. This decision was met with disapproval from representatives of the three media giants involved, with a WBD representative suggesting that the injunction could dismantle the joint venture entirely.

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