bundled

Aug. 11 (UPI) — Disney‘s ESPN and Fox Corp. on Monday announced the two rivals are joining forces to offer a streaming service to consumers as a bundle for $39 per month starting Oct. 2.

The two media giants announced the service but last week ESPN and Fox each announced separate all-in-one streaming apps.

The services can be downloaded on devices, including cellphones and tablets, and can be accessed on smart TVs and gaming consoles.

With viewership declining on TV, including cable, media companies have turned to streaming services as a way to boost viewership and revenue. CNBC reported that sports is a way to accomplish this.

Last week, both companies announced their services — ESPN’s Direct to Consumer Unlimited Offering and Fox One — will launch on Aug. 21 before the college football and NFL seasons.

But the bundle won’t be available until October.

ESPN’s separate service will cost $29.99 month and Fox’s will be $19.99.

Also, ESPN will offer a bundle with Disney’s other streaming services, Disney+ and Hulu, for $35.99 per month.

Besides events, both companies present sports news.

The ESPN service will include live sports and programming from its TV networks, including ESPN2, the SEC Network, the ACC Network, as well as Disney-owned ABC.

ESPN also reached an agreement last week with the NFL to acquire the NFL Network, including the Red Zone.

And ESPN last week signed a deal with the WWW for U.S. rights in 2026 to its biggest wrestling events, including WrestleMania, the Royal Rumble and SummerSlam.

In all, ESPN/ABC cover 47,000 live events each year, as well as studio shows and original programming.

ESPN and ABC sports include Monday Night Football, college football and basketball, NHL, NBA, Major League Soccer, golf, tennis and motorsports.

In addition, an enhanced app will integrate game statistics, betting information, fantasy sports, multi-view options and a “personalize SportsCenter For You,” the company said.

Fox’s parent company offers Tubi and Fox Nation. Fox’s sports networks include FS1, FS2 and the Big Ten Network.

The company said Fox One won’t have original content.

Last week, Fox CEO Lachlan Murdoch and Disney CEO Bob Iger said during earnings calls that they were considering offering bundle services.

Fox Sports’ coverage includes NFL, college football and basketball, Major League Baseball, FIFA World Cup, Major League Soccer, motorsports, WNBA, LIV Golf and boxing.

Three other media companies offer sports: Comcast’s NBC, Warner Bros. Discovery’s TNT and Paramount Skydance’s CBS.

NBC, which has the rights to the Olympics, has Peacock streaming, and CBS offers Paramount+, services that include sports. TNT doesn’t have a specific app but its services can be bundles with other apps.

On Monday, Paramount announced plans to televise UFC events starting next year.

WATCH the dramatic moment when a frightened resident is forced into a van, leaving their family fearing for their safety in the ITV soap.

A Weatherield resident leaves home but is unaware of a man in a van watching her in Monday’s visit to Coronation Street.

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Shona Platt (Julia Goulding) was kidnapped and put in the back of the van.

She banged on doors and shouted for help but no one could hear her.

To make matters worse, her phone was smashed and out of reach as it was left lying in a gutter.

Meanwhile, David Platt (Jack P Shepherd) was shocked to learn Shona hadn’t shown up for work at the café to cover Nina’s (Mollie Gallagher) shift.

He headed to the police station in a panic, telling Kit (Jacob Roberts) how first the dog was run over and now Shona has gone missing.

Overall, David suspects that drug lord Harvey Gaskell (Will Mellor) is the one behind it.

Believing Harvey to more likely come after him, David insisted he’ll find somewhere else to stay.

Upon visiting Nick Tilsey’s (Ben Price) flat, David admitted unless he can come up with the money for Harvey, his whole family is in danger.

This comes after Shona was left shaken as David received the note, which revealed Harvey’s demand for an extra £10k in interest.

A further horrifying realisation was that Harvey’s cronies knew who Lily was.

Corrie viewers know that David made a misstep in stealing dirty money from crime boss Harvey.

When Harvey realised the money was missing, David soon found himself at the baddie’s mercy.

The Platts’ home No.8 is set to face a terrifying house fire.

With his character’s loved ones in immediate peril, actor Jack P Shepherd addressed the latest developments in Weatherfield.

Soap’s biggest whodunnits

EastEnders – Who shot Phil Mitchell?

The “Who Shot Phil?” storyline was a whodunit mystery that captured the attention of viewers and the media. The episode revealing the culprit was watched by 23 million viewers. Lisa Shaw, Phil Mitchell’s former girlfriend and the mother of his child Louise, was revealed as the killer as Phil slept with Lisa’s best friend. Phil forgave Lisa, and they agreed to keep the truth a secret.

Coronation Street – Who killed Tina McIntyre ?

The popular actress Michelle Keegan played Tina McIntyre for several years on the Cobbles, but she ended up being killed by Rob Donovan in a tragic turn of events back in 2014 when he chased her onto the balcony of the Builder’s Yard. When she tried to leave, he pushed her and she fell off the roof, with Rob convinced he killed her. With Tina still alive, he attacked her with an iron bar but she survived that attack and was rushed to hospital as doctors tried to save her.

Emmerdale – Who pushed Emma Barton?

Emma was then pushed off a viaduct by Moira after she talked ill of her dead daughter Holly, who died of an overdose in October 2017. Although Moira was responsible for Emma’s death, her son, Adam Barton, took the fall for the murder since he was already a prime suspect and he didn’t want Isaac to grow up motherless.

Hollyoaks – Glove Hand Killer

The Gloved Hand Killer was a mystery serial killer, who claimed the lives of 7 characters between January and October 2015, all by injecting them with potassium chloride. The Gloved Hand Killer’s targets were all people who had done wrong in some shape or form. There were 6 suspects for who the Gloved Hand Killer was, and the killer’s identity was revealed in October 2015. It was revealed to be doctor Lindsey Butterfield who had been killing people at the hospital.

He said: “Knowing that no one is safe and they could come after his whole family, he’s panicked and he’s desperate.

“He’s trying to think of ways to pay the money back but it’s a huge lump sum to come up with and he’s bricking it.

“David’s unpredictable, even for soap, you can see where it’s going with certain stories and that it’s not going to end well, but you’re not quite sure how he’s going to get out of it or if he’s going to win in the end but hopefully he does.”

Will the Platts pull through the latest drama in their lives?

Coronation Street airs Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 7:30pm on ITV1 and is available from 7am on ITVX.

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