Sports-centric streaming service FuboTV has sued the media companies behind a new sports-streaming platform scheduled to launch this fall, alleging they "wouldn’t let Fubo carry a small bundle of sports-focused channels that they are now looking to include in the new service." The suit, which was filed today in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of N.Y., "seeks to block" the joint venture between Disney, Fox and Warner Bros. Discovery, among other things. The suit also is asking for "a jury trial and punitive damages." The lawsuit alleges the companies are "using their power over commercially critical sports content to force Fubo to broadcast unwanted, expensive content that prevents Fubo from offering the sports-centric package of channels that its customers want." Fubo, which has more than 200 channels and 1.5 million subscribers in North America, has seen its shares fall about 20% since the new streaming service was announced. In the suit, Fubo also said it is being "charged above-market prices" and the creation of the new sports streaming-service "would increase the media companies' incentives not to make their content available to Fubo and others" (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 2/20).
