Warner Bros. Discovery
is bringing live sports to its Max streaming service for an extra $9.99 a month.
The company said the sports option will launch on Oct. 5. It’s called Bleacher Report Sports Add-On, taking on the branding of the firm’s sports blog. The add-on will be free to all Max subscribers until the promotional period ends on Feb. 29. The firm said it will include professional baseball, hockey, basketball, and U.S. soccer events. It will also feature NCAA men’s basketball.
The sports add-on fits into the firm’s strategy of building around the Max app, which dropped the HBO Max branding in the spring. The cheapest Max app option costs $9.99 or $99.99 for an annual plan.
Live sports is viewed as the one of the last key offerings holding cable bundles together. The Max add-on could lead to more cord cutting, though it will likely be more focused on national broadcasts from TNT, TBS, and truTV, rather than regional sports channels that offer local games. Though
Walt Disney
(DIS) eventually plans to offer a streaming version of ESPN directly to consumers, its recent deal with
Charter Communications
(CHTR) shows the firm isn’t yet ready to abandon linear television entirely.
Since AT&T spun off WarnerMedia so it could merge with Discovery, the combined entity has struggled to find its footing. Shares are down 12% in the past 12 months, though they have rallied 23% in 2023. To reach merger goals, the firm has turned to tactics like removing content from streaming services for tax benefits or licensing out content to other streaming television apps. The firm canned a CNN+ streaming service within weeks of its launch. It now plans to offer CNN content on Max, starting on Sept. 27.
Write to Connor Smith at [email protected]
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