Disney and Fubo have announced the closure of a previously announced transaction that combines Fubo’s business with Disney’s Hulu + Live TV business. The transaction was originally announced in January. It came after Fubo sued over a joint sports venture that Disney, Fox Corp. and Warner Bros. Discovery attempted to launch called Venu Sports. The plans for this venture were eventually scrapped.

This new business combines Fubo and Hulu + Live TV and creates a new virtual MVPD (vMVPD). It is also the sixth-largest Pay TV company in the United States, with nearly 6 million subscribers in North America. The combined company offers a wide range of offerings for viewers, including a wide range of sports. It offers more than 55,000 live sporting events and entertainment-focused programming offerings from Fobu and Hulu + Live TV.

“It is a privilege to join Fubo as Chairman at such a transformative time for the company,” said Andy Bird, Chairman of the Board of Directors. Formerly the Chairman of Walt Disney International and CEO of Pearson plc, he continued saying, “Today’s announcement brings together two industry leading brands and a compelling set of resources that uniquely position us to meet the evolving needs of today’s consumer.”

Both services will continue to be available as stand-alone services. This promises to give consumers more options for plans at different levels of offerings and price points. Hulu + Live TV will continue to be streamed in the Hulu app and included in the entertainment-focused bundle with Hulu, Disney+, and ESPN Unlimited. Fubo will also continue to be available in its standalone app.

The combined businesses are expected to save money through operational synergies, content cost savings made available by more flexible programming packages, advertising optimization, and sales and marketing company. The combined company will also have access to a $145 million loan that Disney committed to providing to Fubo in 2026 as part of this transaction.

“Since Fubo’s founding a decade ago, our vision has always been to build a consumer-first streaming platform defined by innovation and value,” said David Gandler, Co-founder and CEO of Fubo. “Together with Disney, we’re creating a more flexible streaming ecosystem that gives consumers greater choice, while driving profitability and sustainable growth.

We’re also proud to reward our retail shareholders who have supported Fubo’s mission from the very beginning. We believe this combination delivers the scale, stability and strategic clarity to create lasting value for consumers and shareholders, and indelibly impact the future of live streaming.”

Disney shared how the structure and leadership for this new venture will look. Check it out here:

Corporate Structure and Leadership

As of the Transaction closing, Disney holds an approximately 70% interest in the newly combined company with existing Fubo shareholders holding an approximately 30% interest.

Fubo’s existing management team, led by Fubo Co-founder and CEO David Gandler, will operate the newly combined Fubo and Hulu + Live TV businesses. The combined company will leverage the resources and support of Disney, and the existing Fubo management team will continue to focus on driving growth and profitability.

As part of the Transaction, the Fubo advertising sales group will transition to Disney’s advertising sales organization to deliver a premium, data-powered experience for fans and the brands that reach them.

Board of Directors 

A board of directors with depth and breadth of operational experience across finance, media, entertainment and sports in global markets has been seated to guide the strategic vision of the combined company. Newly appointed and continuing directors include:

• Andy Bird, CBE – Independent Chairman

Bird is a British media executive with more than three decades of leadership across global broadcasting, entertainment and education. He was formerly Chairman of Walt Disney International and CEO of Pearson plc, where he transformed the 180-year-old publisher into a digital-first education company.

• David Gandler – Co-founder and CEO, Fubo

Gandler, a prominent figure in global sports and media, has been Co-founder and CEO of Fubo since 2015. Through Gandler Sports Group (GSG), he is the majority owner and board member of soccer team Leyton Orient F.C., and a former co-owner of Paris FC.

• Daniel Leff – Lead Independent Director

Leff is Co-founder and Managing Partner of Waverley Capital, a media-focused venture capital fund. He is also founder and managing partner of Luminari Capital, a media-focused venture capital fund. Leff has been an investor in and/or member of the board of directors of a multitude of media companies including Endel, Fubo, Matterport, Professional Fighters League, PlutoTV (sold to Paramount), Roku, The Athletic (sold to The New York Times), Volley, Wondery (sold to Amazon) and several other companies. Daniel was also the Co-Founder and CEO of Waverley Capital Acquisition Corporation.

• Ignacio “Nacho” Figueras – Independent Director

Figueras is a renowned polo player, entrepreneur, investor and philanthropist. He is currently the captain and co-owner of the Black Watch polo team and owner of Cría Yatay, a globally successful polo horse breeding operation based in Argentina. Figueras is also co-founder of the Figueras Design Group (FDG).

• Jonathan S. Headley – Independent Director

Headley is a seasoned financial executive who spent nearly 30 years at The Walt Disney Company. As Senior Vice President & Treasurer, he directed global treasury operations, bringing deep expertise in capital markets, corporate finance and risk management. Prior to joining Disney, Headley was an analyst at Goldman Sachs & Co. and a research associate at Harvard University.

• Jim Lygopoulos – Executive Vice President, People & Culture, Corporate, Direct-To-Consumer and International, Disney

Lygopoulos is an experienced HR executive with over 20 years at Disney, specializing in people and culture strategy, talent acquisition, employee relations, rewards, leadership development and organizational transformation. He has worked across Asia Pacific and the U.S., bringing international depth to the Board.

• Debra OConnell – President, ABC News Group & Disney Entertainment Networks, Disney

OConnell is a veteran Disney executive with over 25 years of leadership in broadcasting, network strategy and news. She currently oversees ABC News, ABC Owned Stations and Disney’s television networks portfolio. Ms. OConnell also has operational leadership, including P&L oversight of Disney’s multi-platform linear entertainment networks in the US, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.

• Cathleen Taff – President, Production Services, Franchise Management & Theatrical Distribution, Disney

Taff is an accomplished entertainment executive with decades of leadership in film distribution, international operations and business strategy. As President of Distribution, Franchise Management and Business & Audience Insights at The Walt Disney Studios, she oversaw worldwide theatrical distribution and guided franchise strategy for some of the industry’s most successful brands.

• Justin Warbrooke – Executive Vice President and Head of Corporate Development, Disney

Warbrooke is a veteran Disney executive with over 19 years at Disney.  He is responsible for leading M&A strategy and execution including acquisitions, divestitures and joint ventures while also monitoring and optimizing Disney’s portfolio of equity interests and planning and executing new business ventures.