Video Distributors, Allies Seek Disney/Fox/WBD JV Hearing

The Disney/Fox/Warner Bros. Discovery sports streaming joint venture (see 2402070006) "will eventually dominate the distribution market for live sports and will drive out competition," programming distributors and programmers along with advocacy group allies said Thursday in a letter to House and Senate Commerce and Judiciary committee chairs and ranking members. Consumer interests are never served when an important industry like live sports "is effectively controlled by three programming giants which decided to combine forces instead of competing against each other," they said. The letter requests a hearing on pay TV. Behind the letter were Fubo TV, DirecTV, Dish Network, Newsmax, Sports Fan Coalition, American Economic Liberties Project, Open Markets Institute and Electronic Frontier Foundation. House Judiciary Committee ranking member Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., and Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, raised similar concerns in a letter last month to the JV members (see 2404170067).