Is Fubo destined to shut down following Fubo Sports launch?
Is Fubo destined to shut down following Fubo Sports launch?
Fubo is getting ready to launch a sports-only service. Will that allow it to shutter its larger existing platform?
What does the future hold for Fubo? That’s what we find ourselves asking today, after the news that the live TV streaming service was launching a new skinny bundle service featuring only sports channels in September. Fubo Sports finally achieves what the company has wanted since its inception: a way to offer viewers only the sports they want to watch most, without the extra content they don’t want to pay for. But now that Fubo has been able to launch a platform that more closely aligns with its long-held goals, does its original, larger service still need to exist, especially in light of an upcoming merger with Hulu + Live TV?.
Key Details:
- Good selection: The new Fubo sports package will carry 20+ channels for $56 per month.
- Hulu’s helping hand: Hulu sells a very strong channel plan with a host of popular networks.
- Not needed any longer: In the end, Fubo seems likely to shutter at least some of its plans.
The new Fubo sports-only service launching in September will have more than 20 channels, including local broadcast affiliates of ABC, CBS, and Fox in certain markets, as well as cable sports networks like ESPN, FS1, NFL Network, college sports channels, and the Unlimited plan of the new ESPN streaming service. While the details of how the service will function as its own platform are still unclear, it will stand as a more cost-efficient option compared to Fubo’s more expansive Pro plan or the Elite with Sports Plus package.
As a streaming service that has billed itself as a destination for sports fans ever since it was created, the launch of Fubo Sports represents a considerable achievement for the company. All of the channels in the package are found in other Fubo plans, but this is the first time it has ever allowed viewers to watch such a large breadth of sports without having to have news and entertainment channels in its package, driving up the cost of the plan. At launch, Fubo Sports will run $56 per month, after a $10 discount for the first month.
With the launch of Fubo Sports, it’s now fair to question what will become of the original Fubo service. All of the plans on the original Fubo streamer are quite large, with each one offering more than 200 total networks at a starting price of $85 per month. But, there’s also the expense of regional sports networks (RSNs) to factor in; most Fubo subscribers have to pay a non-optional RSN fee of as much as $17 per month with those plans, which knocks the price over $100 for many.
That could lead Fubo to determine that since it already has a sports-focused package, it doesn’t need to weigh itself down with those bulky plans any longer — especially in light of the fact that it’s due to merge with Hulu + Live TV. In January, Fubo and Disney announced their two services would join forces, and there would certainly be synergistic opportunities created by such a venture.
The Hulu + Live TV base plan comes with 90+ channels, including a good mix of news, sports, and entertainment networks. In many ways, it is comparable to Fubo’s current base plans, though it’s not as overstuffed with networks. From the beginning, the publicized plan was for Hulu + Live TV and Fubo to continue operating independently of each other, but for Disney to own 70% of Fubo. However, it does seem possible that Disney would not see the need to have competing services in the larger, general entertainment live TV streaming market. So with Fubo Sports coming to market, getting the brand much more closely aligned with its original goals, it seems strategically sound for customers on Fubo’s larger plan to move over to Hulu + Live TV, while the sports-focused subscribers can opt for Fubo Sports.
There are other signs that could point to this eventuality. When news of the Fubo Sports package first began trickling out, more details about the structure of the merger with Hulu + Live TV also began to appear. Fubo and Disney are already hard at work in unifying their billing, authentication, and tech platforms, and the Fubo app may become a one-stop destination for plans from both Hulu and its own service. The Hulu app itself will shut down in 2026, showing that Disney is already thinking of ways to cut down on redundancies.
Perhaps Disney and Fubo will attempt to create other packages based around specific themes, such as kids channels or news networks like DIRECTV has done. But I would imagine that will be done under the Hulu banner, rather than Fubo’s, since the latter is so closely associated with sports streaming. In a world where viewers are continuing to cut the cord to save money, I’m not sure offering customers multiple bloated channel plans with 100+ networks for over $100 per month makes sense anymore. So allowing Fubo Sports to focus on sports fans for $56 per month and Hulu + Live TV serving as the option for everyone else at $86 monthly seems like a sound plan forward.
Ultimately, I think the executives at Fubo and Disney will agree with that assessment. The launch of Fubo Sports gives them plenty of flexibility as they think about the future together, and I think there’s a pretty good chance that future will include the Hulu + Live TV, Fubo Sports, and not much else. Current Fubo plans like the Pro or Elite with Sports Plus packages may be destined for the scrap heap in the not-too-distant future.
Fubo
Fubo is a live TV streaming service offering a robust lineup of approximately 150 premier channels, with plans starting at $63.99 per month. This entry-level package provides access to local broadcast affiliates 18 of the leading 35 cable channels channels, and valuable regional sports networks (RSNs).