(Reuters) – Warner Bros Discovery said on Wednesday that it plans to offer sports and news content at no additional cost on its streaming platform, Max, to standard and premium subscribers in the U.S.
As customers shift from cable TV networks to streaming services, media companies such as Warner Bros Discovery are seizing the opportunity to gain market share and attract advertisers by introducing live sports events.
The company had initially planned to charge customers $9.99 a month starting March 2024 for premium sports add-ons, which feature a full slate of sporting events such as the National Hockey League, National Basketball Association and U.S. Soccer.
However, the streaming giant later extended the promotional period due to technical reasons.
Reversing the earlier plan, Warner Bros Discovery said on Wednesday, “This path will not be pursued for now.”
The company also added that CNN Max, which offers a news streaming feed and sports, will not be available on the basic ad-supported plan starting March 30.
Earlier this year, Comcast had said that the launch of Sports & News TV, a new video package for its Xfinity internet customers, is part of its strategy to remain competitive in the streaming era.
(Reporting by Priyanka.G in Bengaluru; Editing by Shreya Biswas)
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