When Fubo first launched in 2015, it was a soccer streaming service. In ten short years since its debut, Fubo has quickly built itself into one of the biggest streaming services in the United States. With today’s news that Fubo has agreed to sell a 70% majority stake in its business to The Walt Disney Company, which will see Fubo merging with its Hulu + Live TV business, it’s an astonishing journey for the company that began life by embracing The Beautiul Game.

As part of the agreement with Disney, Fubo will continue to be led by Fubo’s executive team, and both Fubo as well as Hulu + Live TV will continue to operate under their separate brands. That’ll allow Fubo to continue its focus on sports and news, while Hulu + Live TV focuses on entertainment and being a replacemet for cable TV.

The combination creates the second-biggest paid over-the-top streaming company in North America, behind YouTube TV. Fubo and Hulu + Live TV combined now has more than 6.2 million subscribers in North America.

“We are thrilled to collaborate with Disney to create a consumer-first streaming company that combines the strengths of the Fubo and Hulu + Live TV brands,” said Fubo CEO David Gandler. “This combination enables us to deliver on our promise to provide consumers with greater choice and flexibility. Additionally, this agreement allows us to scale effectively, strengthens Fubo’s balance sheet and positions us for positive cash flow. It’s a win for consumers, our shareholders, and the entire streaming industry.”

Disney becomes majority investor in Fubo: What it means for soccer fans

So what does this all mean for soccer fans? There are several important things to know.

First, for the time being, don’t expect any major changes to the Fubo and/or Hulu + Live TV services. The merger is subject to regulatory and Fubo shareholder approval. By the time the deal is approved, it may be 2026 before that happens.

Second, Disney will enter into a new carriage agreement with Fubo that will allow Fubo to create a new Sports & Broadcast service, featuring Disney’s premier sports and broadcast networks including ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, SECN, ACCN, ESPNEWS, as well as ESPN+. For soccer fans, the convenience of getting the ESPN channels (including games on ESPN+, which is an exciting development) through Fubo will be interesting to see the price and how that works.

Third, the agreement between Disney and Fubo clears the way for the future launch of Venu Sports. The Venu Sports streaming service was supposed to launch in the Fall of 2024 but the joint venture between Disney/FOX/Warner Bros Discovery was held up after Fubo sued to block the streaming service. In today’s announcement, Fubo will receive a settlement of $220 million for settling the litigation.

Fourth and finally, after the deal is approved by regulatory and shareholders, don’t be surprised if prices for both Fubo and Hulu + Live TV increase.

When Fubo first launched in 2015, it was a disruptor that streamed soccer matches from around the world to consumers in the United States. Now that it’ll be majority-owned by Disney, it’s only a matter of time before the House of Mouse tries to squeeze more money out of the public.

Photo credit: Photo Illustration by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images