Venu Sports – which will be a major site for streaming the NTT IndyCar Series following its move from NBC to FOX in 2025 – faces a significant hurdle in its plans to launch the new mega streaming package later this month.
The $42.99-a-month offering, which includes 14 channels including ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNEWS, ESPN+, SEC Network, ACC Network, FOX, FOX Sports 1, FOX Sports 2, Big Ten Network, TNT, TBS and truTV, was scheduled to go live in late August but was halted by a lawsuit from rival streamer FuboTV seeking a temporary restraining order.
FuboTV claims that ESPN, FOX and Warner Bros. Discovery blocked the company from offering its own sports package; the two then joined forces to form Venu Sports.
“US District Judge Margaret M. Garnett in the Southern District of New York said in her 69-page ruling Friday that Fubo would likely succeed in proving that the joint venture violated antitrust laws and that Fubo and consumers “would suffer irreparable harm without an injunction,” ESPN reports.
As RACER recently reported, fans without cable (or without a subscription to an independent streaming service that owns FOX) have free access to IndyCar races on FOX, but accessing IndyCar streams on FOX through the FOX Sports app requires authentication through a cable provider. With Venu Sports, IndyCar fans without cable and without a subscription to YouTube TV or similar would have the ability to stream every practice and qualifying round on FS1 and FS2, as well as every race on the FOX network.
The injunction is being appealed, and until the matter is resolved, IndyCar’s main solution for its series among those who have given up on cable TV or prefer streaming is in limbo. It also affects other major racing owners such as Formula 1 (ESPN/ABC) and NASCAR and the NHRA (FOX).
“We believe Fubo’s arguments are incorrect as to the facts and the law, and that Fubo has failed to demonstrate that it is legally entitled to an injunction,” ESPN said. “Venu Sports is a pro-competitive option that aims to increase consumer choice by reaching a segment of viewers currently underserved by existing subscription options.”
