Fubo is shaking up the way it offers regional sports channels.
For years, if you wanted access to regional sports networks (RSNs), you had to commit to a full-blown streaming package with a hefty price tag.
But now, Fubo is offering FanDuel RSNs, formerly known as Bally Sports RSNs, as standalone subscriptions. No pricing details for the standalone subscriptions have been announced.
Some fans have taken to social media to point out that you can directly subscribe to FanDuel RSNs as a standalone package. But, it’s a big change from how live TV streaming services have traditionally worked, and it’s bound to catch the attention of anyone tired of bundled subscriptions just to watch local sports.
For those who aren’t familiar, RSNs are networks that carry local sports broadcasts. It’s the primary way sports fans can watch in-market MLB, NBA and NHL games.
According to USA Today, the newly branded FanDuel Sports Network will have the local broadcasting rights for 13 NBA teams and eight NHL teams across 16 regional sports networks during the 2024-25 season.
Teams include the Detroit Tigers, Miami Marlins, Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Clippers, and many others, providing coverage for a wide array of MLB, NBA, NHL, and WNBA teams.
Until recently, if you wanted to catch your local MLB, NHL or NBA teams live, you often had to buy an entire streaming package. However, Bally Sports became an exception when it started offering a standalone Bally Sports+ subscription.
Fubo’s move to let customers subscribe to FanDuel RSNs by themselves is part of their new approach to make streaming more flexible.
Along with the RSNs, NBA League Pass and Paramount+ With Showtime are also available as standalone options. And to sweeten the deal, anyone who subscribes to these premium services gets Fubo Free — a collection of nearly 200 free ad-supported channels.
This shift is part of Fubo’s “Super Aggregation” strategy. Their goal? To give viewers more choices, from a free foundational tier to various premium subscriptions. Customers who subscribe to these standalone packages will have access to Fubo Free, a free tier of FAST channels available to everyone.
CEO David Gandler puts it this way in a released statement: “Consumers want flexible streaming options that lets them subscribe to only the content they want to watch. Our vision to be a Super Aggregator aims to give consumers a seamless way to access all of the content they love within the Fubo ecosystem and at appropriate price points. With the addition of standalone live and SVOD premium subscriptions, we believe offering multiple bundles, from skinny to fat, will put choice in the hands of our customers. This is what streaming should be.”
Gandler has had a lot to say about sports streaming in recent months in the wake of his company winning a court injunction to block the launch of Venu Sports.
According to Awful Announcing, the Department of Justice (DOJ) recently filed an amicus brief in support of Fubo in their ongoing antitrust case against Venu Sports, a joint venture between Disney, Fox, and Warner Bros. Discovery.
This legal dispute has the potential to significantly impact the landscape of sports streaming.
Venu had planned to launch a ‘skinny bundle’ of primarily sports channels, but the DOJ and a federal judge viewed this as anti-competitive, potentially giving Venu an unfair advantage. It’s not yet clear if Fubo will expand its standalone RSN offerings beyond FanDuel RSNs.
