By Isabella Simonetti

DirecTV is launching a sports-streaming package that will include networks carrying most major-league events, an effort to win over customers who don't want to pay for a larger bundle of TV channels.

The offering, MySports, will launch in 24 markets Tuesday, featuring content from the National Basketball Association, National Football League, Major League Baseball, National Hockey League and collegiate sports.

It will provide a suite of channels from Warner Bros. Discovery, Fox Corp., NBCUniversal and Disney, including ESPN, USA Network, TNT, TBS, Fox Sports 1 and Fox Sports 2, as well as the ACC Network, Big Ten Network and SEC Network, DirecTV said.

DirecTV's announcement comes just days after Disney, Warner and Fox scrapped plans for their joint sports-focused streaming service Venu Sports, which would have offered much of the same programming.

Fox and The Wall Street Journal's parent company, News Corp, share common ownership.

For consumers, the hunt for a low-cost, all-in-one sports streaming service remains elusive. Many fans have to cobble together multiple services to watch their favorite teams and sports, and leagues are making life more challenging by inking exclusive deals with partners such as Amazon.

DirecTV and other pay TV providers can't provide total access to sports programming, but have been eager to offer slimmer versions of the classic cable bundle for price-conscious viewers who don't want to pay for dozens of channels they aren't interested in. Most DirecTV consumers watch fewer than 30 channels, the company said.

DirecTV struck a deal with Disney last year, allowing it to bundle and sell Disney channels by categories such as sports, entertainment, and children and family content. Disney and FuboTV, a sports-focused streaming service, said last week they would merge to combine the Hulu + Live service with Fubo.

Viewers don't need to be DirecTV satellite subscribers to access the new MySports service. The service will cost $69.99 a month, though early adopters who sign up before Feb. 28 will get a promotional rate of $49.99 a month for three months. YouTube TV's base rate, by comparison, is $82.99, and typical cable packages can run north of $100 a month.

Venu, the now-defunct streaming service from Warner, Fox and Disney's ESPN, sought to pool the three companies' sports content into a streaming service that would cost $42.99 a month. DirecTV wrote a letter to the judge overseeing a legal battle between Fubo and Venu's partners last week, expressing concern about the proposed product on antitrust grounds.

One notable absence from MySports, at least for now, is CBS Sports, whose programming includes NFL, college football and basketball games and golf. DirecTV is working to negotiate a deal with Paramount to offer some of its networks and major-market CBS stations as part of MySports, said Vince Torres, DirecTV's chief marketing officer.

The package also doesn't include regional sports networks. And football and basketball fans might still need Amazon subscriptions, while Peacock has exclusive rights to some NBA games starting next season.

MySports will initially be available in 24 metropolitan areas including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia and the San Francisco Bay Area.

Write to Isabella Simonetti at isabella.simonetti@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

January 14, 2025 06:00 ET (11:00 GMT)

Copyright (c) 2025 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.