RIP to the entirely hypothetical Venu Sports streaming service

The long-awaited one doesn’t happen anymore and others. The sports-focused streaming service was supposed to be a joint offering between Disney, Warner Bros. Discovery and Fox. No specific reason was given other than corporate speak.

“In an ever-changing market, we’ve decided it’s best to respond to the changing demands of sports fans by focusing on existing products and distribution channels,” the companies wrote in a statement.

We’re guessing the move will also involve some serious layoffs, as Venu has been percolating for some time now. To that end, the companies said they are “proud of the work Venu has done to date and are grateful to the Venu staff, who we will support during this transition period.” There are no details on what that support will entail.

The real reason for the suspension is likely due to ongoing legal issues. Just as a threat disappeared this week, with Fubo another popped up in his place. Days after Disney announced a deal to merge Hulu + Live TV with Fubo, a pair of satellite TV companies a pre-existing prohibition which .

DirecTV and EchoStar suggest Fubo and Disney’s newfound friendship doesn’t resolve alleged antitrust issues surrounding Venu Sports. DirecTV wrote to a judge, saying the joint venture “re-establishes an anti-competitive track” for the companies “to control the future of the live pay-TV market.” EchoStar wrote a similar letter.

An unnamed source familiar with Venu Sports said The Hollywood Reporter that the move to cancel the streaming service was made in the last few days, and that the aforementioned legal mess played a role.