Feb 26 (Reuters) - Warner Bros Discovery ( WBD ) said on

Wednesday that it plans to offer sports and news content at no

additional cost on its streaming platform, Max, to standard and

premium subscribers in the U.S.

As customers shift from cable TV networks to streaming

services, media companies such as Warner Bros Discovery ( WBD ) are

seizing the opportunity to gain market share and attract

advertisers by introducing live sports events.

The company had initially planned to charge customers

$9.99 a month starting March 2024 for premium sports add-ons,

which feature a full slate of sporting events such as the

National Hockey League, National Basketball Association and U.S.

Soccer.

However, the streaming giant later extended the

promotional period due to technical reasons.

Reversing the earlier plan, Warner Bros Discovery ( WBD ) said on

Wednesday, "This path will not be pursued for now."

The company also added that CNN Max, which offers a news

streaming feed and sports, will not be available on the basic

ad-supported plan starting March 30.

Earlier this year, Comcast ( CMCSA ) had said that the

launch of Sports & News TV, a new video package for its Xfinity

internet customers, is part of its strategy to remain

competitive in the streaming era.