Streaming Wars Intensify: Fox, Sling TV, and the Quest for Sustainable Growth

Over the past 48 hours, the streaming services industry has experienced robust activity, signaling both innovation and intensified competition. A significant move came from Fox Corp, which is set to launch its Fox One direct-to-consumer platform next week priced at twenty dollars a month, targeting news and sports viewers who are migrating from cable. Notably, Fox News Media’s Fox Nation will be bundled as a low-cost add-on. This indicates aggressive profit strategies that rely on existing programming, not costly original content, aiming for a sustainable business model in a market where overspending has hurt rival platforms.

In live TV, Sling TV just introduced the industry’s first four ninety-nine dollar Day Pass, offering flexible, affordable access to viewers who want to avoid monthly commitments. This pay-per-day model reflects a response to demand for more customizable viewing options.

Sports streaming is also in the spotlight. DirecTV signed a multi-year collaboration with six major university athletic departments, gaining wide-ranging digital and IP rights for key college sports events. Their satellite-free streaming and new fan engagement experiences highlight how incumbents are leveraging partnerships to capture intensely loyal audiences.

Meanwhile, regional sports streaming is expanding. Victory Plus and Fox affiliates broadened their partnership to deliver more Dallas Stars hockey action for 2025-2026, tapping into dedicated local fanbases and integrating free ad-supported models.

On the global front, OSN announced a strategic partnership with The Trade Desk, opening its premium programmatic video inventory to advertisers with enhanced targeting and measurement. This move aligns with the wider advertising industry’s shift toward connected TV and performance-focused campaigns.

A major infrastructure update comes from Xumo, which now powers over two thousand FAST channels across thirty platforms worldwide, cementing its influence in free ad-supported streaming and setting new standards for ad inventory management.

Recent data shows a clear consumer shift from linear TV to streaming, with average streaming CPMs down almost eight percent in the past year and upfront spending now favoring digital options. Advertisers are following viewers, prioritizing platforms with advanced targeting and lower costs.

Streaming services leaders are responding to economic pressures and changing habits by prioritizing flexible pricing, strategic partnerships, and smarter advertising solutions, setting a new pace for the industry. Compared to previous quarters, profitability and sustainability are in sharper focus, and the race to innovate has accelerated, making the market more dynamic than ever.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Over the past forty eight hours, the streaming services industry
has experienced robust activity, signaling both innovation and intensified competition.
A significant move came from Foxcorp, Which is set to
launch its Fox one direct to consumer platform next week,
priced at twenty dollars a month, targeting news and sports

(00:21):
viewers who are migrating from cable. Notably, Fox News Media's
Fox Nation will be bundled as a low cost add on.
This indicates aggressive profit strategies that rely on existing programming,
not costly original content, aiming for a sustainable business model
in a market where overspending has hurt rival platforms. In

(00:43):
live TV, SlingTV just introduced the industry's first four to
ninety nine dollars day pass, offering flexible, affordable access to
viewers who want to avoid monthly commitments. This paper day
model reflects a response to demand for more customizable viewing ops.
Sports streaming is also in the spotlight. DirectTV signed a

(01:04):
multi year collaboration with six major university athletic departments, gaining
wide ranging digital and IP rights for key college sports events.
Their satellite free streaming and new fan engagement experiences highlight
how incumbents are leveraging partnerships to capture intensely loyal audiences. Meanwhile,
regional sports streaming is expanding. Victory Plus and Fox affiliates

(01:27):
broaden their partnership to deliver more Dallas Stars hockey action
for twenty twenty five twenty twenty six, tapping into dedicated
local fan bases and integrating free ad supported models. On
the global front, OSN announced a strategic partnership with the
Trade Desk, opening its premium programmatic video inventory to advertisers

(01:48):
with enhanced targeting and measurement. This move aligns with the
wider advertising industry shift toward connected TV and performance focused campaigns.
A major infrastructure update comes from Zumo, which now powers
over two thousand fast channels across thirty platforms worldwide, cementing
its influence in free ad supported streaming and setting new

(02:09):
standards for ad inventory management. Recent data shows a clear
consumer shift from linear TV to streaming, with average streaming
CPMs down almost eight percent in the past year and
upright spending now favoring digital options. Advertisers are following viewers,
prioritizing platforms with advanced targeting and lower costs. Streaming services

(02:31):
leaders are responding to economic pressures and changing habits by
prioritizing flexible pricing, strategic partnerships, and smarter advertising solutions, setting
a new pace for the industry. Compared to previous quarters,
profitability and sustainability are in sharper focus, and the race
to innovate has accelerated, making the market more dynamic than

(02:52):
ever