CNN
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Live sports are coming to Max.
Warner Bros. Discovery announced Tuesday that it will launch a live sports tier on its Max streaming service on Oct. 5 that will give subscribers access to more than 300 live games per year.
The “Bleacher Report Sports Add-On” will include a bundle of live sports, including MLB, NHL, NBA, NCAA Men’s March Madness and American Football, WBD said. The addition – which will also feature live pre- and post-game programming, as well as expanded on-demand content and extended series – marks the first time WBD has made its premium sports content available on a streaming platform. streaming.
The addition of live sports comes in time for the Major League Baseball playoffs, with the National League Division Series kicking off on October 7. The new sports tier will be a free add-on for Max subscribers until February 29, 2024, after which the price will be $9.99 per month. Sports games will also continue to be broadcast on WBD’s linear network, which includes TNT, TBS and truTV.
The decision to bring live sports to streaming services comes as WBD, CNN’s parent company, and other entertainment giants face the rapid decline of traditional cable television, putting the business model in jeopardy which has long supported the costly development of sports rights and programs. WBD announced last month that it also plans to broadcast live news on the Max platform with a new CNN Max service starting September 27.
“(It’s) the largest collection of entertainment, news and now sports in one place,” JB Perrette, WBD’s global president of streaming, said in a statement. “This makes Max the most comprehensive streaming service for consumers and reaffirms why Max is truly The One To Watch.”
The new sports tier uses the Bleacher Report brand, acquired by Time Warner in 2012, and continues to operate as a digital sports news and culture platform.
“We want to be everywhere sports fans are and our unmatched offering of top sports, combined with the power of Bleacher Report’s brand and content, including the unique way B/R engages with young sports fans, all offered via the new Max platform. allow us to expand our audience and delight new fans,” said Luis Silberwasser, Chairman and CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery Sports.
Cnn