(Bloomberg) -- FuboTV Inc.’s lawsuit against Fox Corp., Warner Bros. Discovery Inc. and Walt Disney Co. over their plans to start a new sports-streaming service will go to trial next fall, potentially preventing a planned launch ahead of the next football season.
US District Judge Margaret Garnett on Thursday set the trial to start on Oct. 6, 2025. Garnett last month issued a preliminary injunction blocking the $42.99-a-month service, Venu Sports, from going forward while the lawsuit proceeds.
The media giants had planned to launch Venu on Aug. 23, before the beginning of the college and pro football seasons. The schedule likely means that, even if the three companies prevail, Venu will likely miss out on at least the early games. Garnett said she expects the trial to last from three to four weeks.
Fubo, a smaller sports streaming service, filed suit in February, accusing the larger media companies of using their control of the rights to major sports contests to unfairly dominate their competition.
The lawsuit is among a wave of legal battles being fought over the valuable rights to sporting events as viewers increasingly eschew cable television for streaming services.
Fox, Warner and Disney argue that Venu wouldn’t hurt competition because they still have to negotiate rights themselves and still vie for viewers against each other on different platforms.
The Justice Department is also planning to examine the Venu deal over concerns that it could harm consumers and lead to less competition between media rivals and sports leagues.
The case is FuboTV Inc. v. Walt Disney Co. et al., 24-cv-1363, US District Court, Southern District of New York (Manhattan).
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