Fox says it will launch standalone DTC streamer after Venu debacle

By Michael P. Hill February 4, 2025

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After its proposed sports-centric direct-to-consumer streamer partnership Venu Sports was canceled in late 2024, Fox Corp. announced it is moving forward with a plan to launch a broader service later in 2025.

The service, which does not have a name, was announced Feb. 4, 2025, during an earnings call by head Lachlan Murdoch.

While details are scarce, it is expected to feature content from across its media empire, including both news and sports content. 

He did mention that the service is targeted at cord-cutters, and those would likely never subscribe to traditional linear TV, which it hopes it won’t impact cable, satellite and other similar providers’ numbers, which have been in decline for years.

What the service will not feature, according to Murdoch, is original content. He indicated that the service will draw on existing content already being produced by its networks and brands. 

It was also not made clear how or if this new product might affect Fox’s content deals with Hulu in the future. 

In late 2024, the network signed a deal with Disney-controlled Hulu for it to continue to be the streaming home for Fox’s primetime shows, including The Masked Singer,” “The Floor,” “Next Level Chef,” “Bob’s Burgers,” “The Simpsons,” “Family Guy” and “Animal Control.”

That deal is said to run four years, so unless there’s an early exit clause or allowances built into the existing terms, it appears the new DTC offering might not be able to offer Fox’s own primetime shows at least at first.

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Fox, unlike NBC (with Peacock), CBS (with Paramount) and ABC (with Hulu) has opted to not to create it own subscription streamer that it can send its primetime shows to after they air on network TV. This does allow ABC and Fox content to be marketed together and, in many ways, make it more appealing to subscribers looking for a broader library of content (Hulu also features content from other providers as well as originals).

Fox has, however, invested in Tubi, its free, ad-supported streaming television offering, which features a content culled from a variety of sources, including some less high profile or older Fox-owned content. This service is free, while the yet-to-be-named Fox DTC service will require a monthly fee (CBS owns FAST Pluto TV and Peacock previously had a free tier of Peacock).

No potential pricing details were discussed either.

Fox’s entry into the space will add another streamer that’s likely to have significant interest to a very crowded DTC streaming market. Multiple consumer studies and buzz from the general zeitgeist indicate that viewers are quickly becoming overwhelmed by the number of streamers out there — including the number of ones that they need to subscribe to watch their favorite shows.

Even for households with less expansive television interests, having multiple accounts is still often a “must” and it’s not uncommon for the total cost of all these monthly subscriptions to approach the cost of paying for cable or satellite TV.

Corporations live streamers, however, because they are able to bypass having to negotiate carriage fees with MVPDs and vMVPDs and pocket more of the revenue. Many have also found that offering an ad-supported tier can be a good way to stem at least some churn due to frustration with higher costs, though these plans are generally only a few dollars cheaper and there’s still a big chunk of consumers who prefer ad-free options.

Advertising on streamers can often be sold with improved targeting over traditional TV and allows advertisers of more sizes to run more nimble, dynamic campaigns. However, the most streamers have bene reluctant to use the full power of targeting using subscriber profiles due to privacy and regulatory concerns. 

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