News: FOX One, Pablo Torre, Warner Bros. and more

The FOX One direct-to-consumer service is nearing its launch; Pablo Torre is bringing his show to “The Athletic Podcast Network”; and there is reportedly belief that David Ellison could explore acquiring Warner Bros. Plus additional news about Damon Phillips, NBC Sports, Nick Rud and Yahoo Sports.

FOX One launch date, pricing revealed

Fox Corporation announced Tuesday that it will launch its FOX One direct-to-consumer streaming service August 21 for $20/mo ($200/year). The service, which was announced earlier this year, will grant consumers access to linear networks across the company portfolio, including FOX, Big Ten Network, FS1, FS2 and FOX Deportes. The launch will occur nine days before the season premiere of “Big Noon Saturday” between the defending national champion Ohio State Buckeyes facing the Texas Longhorns.

Pete Distad, the Fox Corporation executive in charge of the company’s direct to consumer platforms, said in a statement that the new service “will appeal to the cord-cutter and cord-never fans currently not served by conventional pay TV packages.”

During a company earnings call earlier Tuesday, Fox Corporation CEO Lachlan Murdoch said FOX One could be bundled with other streaming services and that it will be available to pay television users with authenticated credentials.

Fox Corporation previously worked with The Walt Disney Company and Warner Bros. Discovery on the Venu Sports joint streaming venture, but that project ultimately never launched due to FuboTV obtaining a preliminary injunction from a federal judge amid concerns surrounding violation of antitrust law. Fubo subsequently settled all legal claims against Venu Sports earlier this year with the three conglomerates agreeing to make an aggregate cash payment of $220 million to the company. Disney also agreed to purchase a controlling stake of Fubo, although it has reportedly resulted in a formal investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice.

“Pablo Torre Finds Out” inks licensing deal with The Athletic

Sports journalist Pablo Torre will be bringing his sports podcast to The Athletic Podcast Network under a licensing agreement with the company, it was announced Tuesday. While the sports journalism outlet is adding “Pablo Torre Finds Out” to its portfolio of shows in a deal that is reportedly “in the seven figures,” Meadowlark Media will continue producing the program.

Torre’s show, which launched two years ago with Meadowlark, has focused on investigative journalism and deep dives and is accessible on audio and video platforms. The expansion of The Athletic Podcast Network, which was first reported by Ashley Carman of Bloomberg, also includes an agreement with the “Sports Gossip Show” podcast featuring Madeline Hill and Charlotte Wilder.

Meadowlark Media previously announced an extension of its partnership with DraftKings that included continued distribution of “The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz,” “South Beach Sessions,” “Nothing Personal with David Samson” and other shows. Torre’s podcast left DraftKings Network in June and was searching for a new licensing partner.

Throughout the offseason, Torre has worked with Mike Florio on a trilogy of episodes breaking news of controversy within the NFLPA, including an agreement between the NFL and NFLPA to hide an independent arbiter ruling on a collusion grievance.

Ellison could reportedly aim to acquire Warner Bros.

Skydance, which is set to complete its acquisition of Paramount later this week, could attempt to acquire Warner Bros., according to a report from Kim Masters of Puck News, though the chances of such a move were disputed by others cited in the piece. The newly rebranded Warner Bros. consists of the streaming and studios division of Warner Bros. Discovery, with the company’s cable platforms being spun off into a new company that will be called “Discovery Global.”

“Do you want to buy more studio assets?” Rich Greenfield, media and technology analyst and partner at LightShed Partners, was quoted as asking. “It seems far too simplistic. I wonder whether the Ellisons are more interested in buying something like TikTok.” An industry executive quoted in the piece also cautiouned that a deal between Warner Bros. and Paramount “would ring all kinds of antitrust bells.”

Warner Bros. Discovery recently laid off 10% of its motion picture group employees, according to Reuters, as the company undergoes restructuring before its split. The aforementioned source cited by Masters claimed that success surrounding recent movies concurrent with layoffs can be interpreted, reading between the lines, as preparing to put the company for sale.

Plus: Damon Phillips, NBC Sports, Nick Rud, Yahoo Sports

• Former NBC Sports and ESPN execurive Damon Phillips is joining FanDuel Sports Network as EVP of team partnerships, it was announced Monday. The role, which becomes effective August 25, will grant Phillips oversight of regions in the southeastern United States (South, Southeast, Florida, Sun), along with partnerships with a variety of teams such as the Atlanta Braves, Miami Heat, Nashville Predators and Tampa Bay Rays.
• NBC Sports and USA Gymnastics have reached an extension of their partnership through 2032. The deal allows NBC and Peacock to present coverage of artistic gymnastics events, including the Xfinity U.S. Gymnastics Championships and U.S. Classic, along with an increase in the number of windows on the NBC broadcast network ahead of the Olympic Games 2028 Los Angeles.
• ESPN has promoted Nick Rud to a new role of “Vice President, Sports Production for Diamond and College Olympic Sports.” Rud has been working at ESPN for 21 years and previously served as a coordinating producer where he oversaw coverage of college softball and wrestling.
• Yahoo Sports reached an extension with senior college football reporter Ross Dellenger, and he will continue hosting “College Football Enquirer” with new additions Andy Staples and Steven Godfrey. In addition, “Josh Pate‘s College Football Show” will broadcast from a Yahoo Sports studio at On3 headquarters beginning on Sunday, Aug. 10, and both companies will air the program on their platforms.