伏波 Sues 华特迪士尼公司, 狐狸 Corp.华纳兄弟. Discovery, and Affiliates for Antitrust Practices
伏波TV公司. (d/b/a/ 伏波) (NYSE: FUBO), the leading sports-first live TV streaming platform, filed an antitrust lawsuit against 华特迪士尼公司, 福克斯公司., 华纳兄弟. 发现公司. and their affiliates today, 指控这些垂直整合的媒体公司已经进行了长达数年的活动，阻止富博创新的体育优先流媒体业务，对富博和消费者都造成了重大伤害. 诉状称，即将成立的体育流媒体合资公司窃取了富博的剧本，这是这种活动的最新例子.
该公司声称，被告长期以来一直通过从事反竞争行为来阻碍富博的体育优先流媒体服务. 富博成立于9年前，旨在为消费者提供以体育赛事为主的电视直播流媒体频道套餐，作为传统有线电视捆绑服务的廉价替代品. 然而, as described in the complaint, “几十年, 被告利用他们对体育内容的铁腕控制，“通过让消费者为非常受欢迎的体育内容支付更多费用，给富博及其客户造成了重大损害”，从中获取了数十亿美元的超竞争性利润.
富博的诉状描述了被告为阻止富博在市场上公平竞争而采取的策略. 富博的法律文件中概述的这些做法包括不公平的“捆绑”——强迫富博播放数十个客户不想要的昂贵的非体育频道，作为获得被告体育频道授权的条件.
诉状中列举的其他反竞争行为包括，被告向富博收取的内容授权费比向其他分销商收取的费用高出30%至50%以上. 被告还对富博施加了非市场渗透要求(内容包必须出售给或不能超过总订户的百分比). These actions individually and collectively increase the costs 伏波 must pass onto customers. 富博认为，由于被告的行为，它已经遭受了数十亿美元的损失.
另外, 伏波声称被告限制了伏波提供消费者想要的有吸引力的流媒体产品, despite similar products being offered by other traditional pay TV and streaming services, including the Defendants’ own Hulu service.
富博进一步声称，被告最近宣布的合资企业只是被告消除体育优先流媒体市场竞争并为自己占领这个市场的最新协调步骤.
The Defendants have locked arms to remove further competition, according to 伏波’s complaint. Each Defendant is a media conglomerate that owns critical sports content and, according to the complaint, has individually engaged in anti-competitive behavior against 伏波 resulting in harm to consumers. Together, the Defendants control more than half of the U.S. 体育版权市场. 通过合并，将他们必须拥有的体育内容单独授权给他们自己的合资企业, 其它经销商, 包括伏波, would be at an extreme competitive disadvantage to the detriment of millions of U.S. consumers, according to the complaint.
David Gandler, Co-founder and CEO, 伏波 commented:
“这些公司都一直从事旨在垄断市场的反竞争行为, stifle any form of competition, create higher pricing for subscribers and cheat consumers from deserved choice. 通过联合起来独家保留专门的体育直播包的分销权利, 我们认为，这些公司正在建立不可逾越的障碍，将有效地阻止任何新的竞争对手进入市场. 这一策略确保了想要一个专门的体育频道阵容的消费者别无选择，只能订阅被告的合资企业.
“我们之前与这些公司都有过合作，这样我们就可以为富博的客户提供‘必备’的体育内容. For many years, they have challenged our business at every opportunity through pernicious practices. While other new competitors were prevented from entering the market, 伏波 has continuously fought back. The Defendants’ unconscionable practices have impacted our ability to grow and have deprived consumers of a compelling and competitively-priced product.
“简单地说, 这个体育卡特尔多年来一直封锁我们的剧本，现在他们实际上是在为自己窃取它.
“Silence is no longer an option. The fact that live sporting events dominated television viewership in 2023, with 97 of the top 100 broadcasts, 强调体育在娱乐中的关键重要性及其广泛传播的必要性. 报告 that the Department of Justice intends to look into the joint venture are encouraging, and it evidences the potential negative and widespread impact this alliance will have.
“富博寻求这些媒体巨头在定价和所有相关条件方面的平等待遇，以确保我们能够为消费者的利益公平竞争. 我们的客户应该获得富宝设计的具有创新功能的具有竞争力价格的产品，以获得无与伦比的体育观看体验.”
在诉状中, 伏波寻求, 除此之外, to enjoin the joint venture or, 在另一种情况下, require the parties impose restrictions on the Defendants in order to proceed, such as economic parity of licensing terms and substantial damages from the Defendants.
For more 信息 on 伏波 and the streaming landscape, please refer to the company’s presentation 在其 Investor Relations website.
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