Warner Bros. Discovery has announced that it is adding live sports to its Max streaming service for US customers, starting on October 5th. The new add-on price tier, known as Bleacher Report (B/R) Sports, will allow viewers to access simulcast streams of popular sports events including NBA, NHL, NCAA, and US Soccer games. Initially, live sports programming will be available at no extra cost to subscribers until the promotional period ends on February 29th. After that, the sports package will cost $10 per month and can be added to any Max subscription plan in the US.
Under the WBD Sports umbrella, BR Sports will launch with the MLB’s National League Division Series on October 7th, as well as season openers for the NBA and NHL. The platform will also feature additional content from the Bleacher Report brand, such as live coverage, TV shows like Inside the NBA, on-demand videos, and international events like 24 Hours of Le Mans. While fans can still watch TNT, TBS, and TruTV for their favorite teams or documentaries, the BR Sports tier will broadcast over 300 games, including March Madness, as they happen live.
During an April virtual press event for Max, CEO David Zaslav hinted at the addition of live sports programming, emphasizing Warner Bros. Discovery’s strength in sports and news content. He expressed the company’s intention to leverage this important and distinctive live content to further grow their streaming business.
Warner Bros. Discovery’s existing portfolio of sports brands, including TNT Sports, Eurosport, Global Cycling Network (GCN), and Discovery itself, has positioned them well for launching live streams in the streaming market. Zaslav cited the company’s success with linear and streaming formats in the UK through BT Sport and expressed optimism about expanding into other regions, seeing significant opportunities for sports in the streaming space.
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