Versant pivots Fandango into FAST with five-year Bundesliga rights deal
Versant Media is pivoting its Fandango platform into a free ad-supported streaming (FAST) service to compete with providers like Tubi and Roku. The strategy relies on integrating existing cable network content and a new five-year acquisition deal for Bundesliga soccer rights to drive ad-supported viewer retention.
Key Takeaways
- Bundesliga agreement covers 300 annual matches for five years, with games split between Fandango's FAST service and USA Network.
- Fandango platform now integrates 3,500 hours of content from Versant networks including Syfy, E!, and the Golf Channel.
- New 'guest viewing' feature allows users to stream ad-supported content without requiring a registered account or login.
- The 50 million monthly visitors to Fandango’s ticketing and VOD site will be targeted for retention via the new FAST offering.
Why It Matters
The pivot transforms Fandango from a transactional storefront into a top-funnel engagement tool for Versant's newly independent portfolio. By offering high-intent live sports like the Bundesliga for free, Versant aims to bypass the subscription fatigue affecting its former parent, Comcast, while building a proprietary data set on sports viewers. This move pressures legacy FAST providers to secure exclusive live rights rather than relying solely on library film and TV. Success hinges on whether Fandango's transactional movie-going audience will adopt it as a daily destination for live competition. Watch for viewer conversion rates from the ticketing site to the FAST stream during the 2026-27 season opener in late August.
Additional Context
The transition followed the January 2, 2026, completion of Comcast’s spin-off of its legacy cable assets into Versant Media Group. Per Wikipedia and the Los Angeles Times (January 2026), Versant debuted on the Nasdaq under the ticker VSNT, housing brands like USA Network, CNBC, and MS NOW (formerly MSNBC). While Versant launched with a focus on legacy cable, its strategic pivot toward digital distribution was accelerated by its January 2026 acquisition of Free TV Networks, a specialist in FAST and over-the-air broadcasting. This provided the infrastructure needed to scale Fandango's free-to-stream capabilities across connected TV platforms.
Fandango’s move into premium sports rights represents a significant shift for the Bundesliga in the U.S. market. Per Sports Business Journal (July 2026), the five-year English-language deal is valued at $20 million annually, a roughly 33% decline from the league’s previous $30 million-per-year contract with ESPN. To offset this revenue drop, the league is prioritizing wider accessibility. While the ESPN era required a paid ESPN+ subscription for most matches, the Versant partnership moves over 250 games per season to the free Fandango tier. Spanish-language rights were sold separately for the first time to Telemundo, which will stream matches on Peacock, maintaining a link between the league and Versant’s former corporate sibling, NBCUniversal.
Read full article at forbes.com
Enjoy our coverage?
Add StreamingMeme as a preferred source on Google to see more of our streaming news at the top of your Search results.
Add as preferred source