Venu Sports has left the building

With the NFL news cycles at a non-stop fever pitch, it’s hard for things not directly relevant to the NFL to make a blip on our radar screen.

Here’s one that did. Venu Sports, the much-hyped mega sports streamer created by Disney, Fox, and Warner Bros. Discovery that was delayed by an antitrust lawsuit is gone before it ever arrived.

The death of Venu capped a week in which Disney settled the litigation that blocked Venu’s debut by buying the company that filed the lawsuit, Fubo TV. The move seemed to clear a path for launching Venu, and FrontOfficeSports.com reports that it was still the plan after Disney and Fubo merged. However, DirecTV and EchoStar strenuously objected to the notion that the dismissal of Fubo’s lawsuit eliminated the antitrust concerns created by the Disney, Fox, and Warner Bros. Discovery collaboration.

On Friday, the announcement came without warning, via a joint statement.

“After careful consideration, we have collectively agreed to discontinue the Venu Sports joint venture, and not launch the streaming service,” they said. “In an ever-changing marketplace, we determined that it was best to meet the evolving demands of sports fans by focusing on existing products and distribution channels. We are proud of the work to date and grateful to the Venu staff, whom we will support through this transition period.”

Disney, Fox, and Warner Bros. Discovery reportedly spent $400 million into the abandoned venture. At least it’s a write off for them.