Market Voices: Disney-Fox, Paramount-TKO, Revel pivots to EV charging

Seeking Alpha’s roundup of statements, announcements and remarks that could impact markets, sectors or individual stocks.

• Fox (NASDAQ:FOX) (NASDAQ:FOXA) and Disney (NYSE:DIS) are launching a bundled streaming package for $39.99 a month that includes content from all ESPN networks and Fox brands, including Fox Sports.

“Announcing ESPN as our first bundle partner is evidence of our desire to deliver the best possible value and viewing experience to our shared customers,” said Fox SVP Tony Billetter, in a statement.

“Viewers will have access to an incredible portfolio of content through this bundle, including NFL, NBA, WNBA, MLB, NHL, college football and basketball, NASCAR, INDYCAR, UFC, as well as the upcoming FIFA World Cup and more, as we continue to look for opportunities to streamline the user experience, especially for the ultimate sports fan,” Billetter added.

• Newly merged Paramount Skydance (NASDAQ:PSKY) said it’s signed a $7.7 billion, seven-year deal with TKO (NYSE:TKO) to be the exclusive U.S. broadcaster of all UFC events.

The companies said that under the deal, UFC premium events will be made available at no additional cost to Paramount+ subscribers.

“Live sports continue to be a cornerstone of our broader strategy — driving engagement, subscriber growth, and long-term loyalty, and the addition of UFC’s year-round must-watch events to our platforms is a major win,” said Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison, in a statement. “We look forward to delivering this premium content to millions of fans in the U.S and potentially beyond.”

“This is a milestone moment and landmark deal for UFC, solidifying its position as a preeminent global sports asset,” said TKO CEO and Executive Chair Ariel Emanuel, in the same statement.

“We believe wholeheartedly in David’s vision and look forward to being in business with a company that will prioritize technology as a means to enhance storytelling and the overall viewing experience,” Emanuel added.

• Revel said it’s ending its rideshare service in New York City and San Francisco to focus on providing charging services to clients, including former rival Uber (NYSE:UBER) in those cities.

“At the end of the day, rideshare is a very competitive market and asset-heavy. It’s low margin,” CEO Frank Reig told Bloomberg. “We have made the difficult decision that the best way we can keep the EV transition moving forward is by ending our rideshare service and focusing on building the fast-charging infrastructure our biggest cities need to keep going electric.”

Revel’s existing 100 chargers in NYC and San Francisco have been primarily used by Uber and Lyft (LYFT) drivers. The company is aiming to have up to 2,000 chargers in place by 2030, Bloomberg added.

Other leading EV charging providers include Tesla (TSLA), ChargePoint (CHPT) and EVGo (EVGO).