Which streaming stories did you miss this week?
Which streaming stories did you miss this week?
Prime Video and the NFL are going global, NFL owners approve the ESPN deal, and other stories you may have missed this week.
Goodness, but it was a busy sports week. The NBA got things going on Tuesday evening, and the NHL is just getting its legs under it for the season too. The 2025 World Series between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Los Angeles Dodgers is getting going on Friday night, and of course there’s a full NFL slate to prepare for on Sunday too.
Whether or not you’re a sports fan, you may have missed a few key stories from the streaming world this week. We’ve assembled our standard collection of stories from streamers all over the industry to let you know which important news you may have missed!
Which streaming stories did you miss this week?
Antenna estimates initial ESPN, Fox One subs
Two new streaming services launched in the United States on Aug. 21; the ESPN direct-to-consumer platform, and Fox One. Both streamers offer access to linear channels that previously could only be found in cable packages or on live TV streaming services. Both streamers were marketed as alternatives to the cable bundle for those who had not tried it, as opposed to replacements for cable itself.
Antenna has new data available to show just how effective those streamers have been at drawing new customers. Per Antenna’s estimates, ESPN had 2.1 million as of Sept. 30, and Fox One had 1.1 million. These numbers do not include existing Disney subscribers who switched from another plan, or who activated their service through a multi-channel video-programming distributor (MVPD). Fifty-seven percent of ESPN subscribers are choosing the Unlimited tier, versus 43% on the Select tier.
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ESPN Unlimited
ESPN launched its highly anticipated direct-to-consumer streaming service on August 21, 2025. For the first time, this service gives sports fans access to its full lineup of linear channels without a traditional cable or satellite subscription.
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Fox One
Launched August 21, 2025, Fox One is a direct-to-consumer streaming service from Fox Corporation. Billed as a “major digital initiative,” Fox One brings together the full range of Fox’s leading news, sports, and entertainment brands, offering live and on-demand access in one unified platform.
Netflix renews ‘The Diplomat,’ announces Kennedy series
Netflix had some smaller, but still attention-worthy headlines this week. First, the streamer has renewed its political drama series “The Diplomat,” which recently released its third season. The show is officially returning for a fourth season, as announced by Netflix itself on Monday.
“I’m so excited about Season 4,” showrunner Debora Cahn said. “It’s going to be a lot of fun. We get to the end of a season and I always think, ‘Well, there’s no way that we can do this again.’ And then we dig back into it, and it’s like, ‘Oh my God, we have to keep going.’ ”
In addition to that news, Netflix also announced on Monday that it had acquired the rights to a new drama series centering on the Kennedy family. Starring Michael Fassbender as Joe Kennedy Sr., the series will reveal the intimate lives, loves, and tragedies that shaped one of America’s most formidable dynasties.
Netflix
Netflix is a leading subscription-based video streaming service that offers on-demand access to an extensive library of over 3,000 movies, 2,000+ TV shows, and a growing collection of acclaimed Netflix originals. Renowned for producing groundbreaking content, Netflix has become a cultural powerhouse with hit originals like “Stranger Things,” “Wednesday,” “Squid Game,” “The Crown,” “Tiger King,” “Bridgerton,” “The Witcher,” and “Black Mirror.”
HBO Max launches Japanese Collection
HBO Max has been expanding into territories in the Asia Pacific region, and now it is bringing content from that part of the world back to the United States. As announced last Friday, Netflix is launching 12 new titles to stream as part of a Japanese Collection that is available now.
Titles like “Ignite,” “Please Die My Beloved,” and more are coming to HBO Max, and you can stream them with a subscription to any HBO Max plan now.
HBO Max
HBO Max is a subscription video streaming service that gives access to the full HBO library and exclusive Max Originals. There are hubs for content from TLC, HGTV, Food Network, Discovery, TCM, Cartoon Network, Travel Channel, ID, and more. Watch hit series like “The Last of Us,” “House of the Dragon,” “Succession,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” and more. Within HBO Max, B/R Sports allows users to watch live NBA, MLB, NHL, March Madness, and NASCAR events.
Prime Video to stream Black Friday globally, announces partnership with The Athletic
Prime Video will be the NFL’s partner for the league’s Black Friday game this year, which will see the Philadelphia Eagles take on the Chicago Bears. As announced on Wednesday, the game will be the first ever to be presented in more than 240 countries and territories around the world where Prime Video is offered. No NFL game has ever been streamed to such a large audience by the service before.
In addition, on Thursday, Amazon announced that “The Athletic Show” is streaming first on Fire TV platforms before rolling out on The Athletic’s own channels. The partnership will see the new, 30-minute weekly show from The New York Times’ The Athletic that breaks down the week’s biggest sports stories.
Prime Video
Prime Video is a subscription video streaming service that includes on-demand access to 10,000+ movies, TV shows, and Prime Originals like “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power,” “Jack Ryan,” “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” “The Boys,” and more. Subscribers can also add third-party services like Max, Showtime, STARZ, and dozens more with Prime Video Channels. Prime Video also offers exclusive live access to NFL Thursday Night Football.
NFL owners approve sale of NFL Media to ESPN
In August, the NFL announced official intentions to sell many of its media properties to ESPN, including NFL Network. That deal is still several steps from closing, but it just cleared an important hurdle: ownership approval. On Wednesday, the league announced that NFL owners have voted their ascent to sell NFL Media properties to ESPN in exchange for a 10% equity stake in the network.
The deal still needs governmental approval and isn’t expected to close until next year.
ESPN Unlimited
ESPN launched its highly anticipated direct-to-consumer streaming service on August 21, 2025. For the first time, this service gives sports fans access to its full lineup of linear channels without a traditional cable or satellite subscription.