Government might be urged to scrutinize new sports streaming joint venture

A new sports streaming bundle from ESPN, Fox and Warner Bros. Discovery is unlikely to cause Congress or the Federal Communications Commission to act independently, but the responses of those "hurt" by the agreement "may ultimately lead to a government reaction," New Street Research analyst Blair Levin said. He's skeptical that the new joint venture will be blocked on antitrust grounds. But the joint venture could still spur a government reaction "particularly to ensure that local sports remain available for free." The new service will be offered through a standalone app along with options to bundle it with Disney's Disney+ and Hulu streaming service and/or Max streaming service. The new service, which will effectively be a sports-focused virtual multichannel video programming distributor, will feature more than a dozen linear networks.