Fox acquires sports broadcasting platform Caliente TV

• Fox Corp. announced Thursday that it has acquired Caliente TV, a Mexican sports broadcasting platform.
• As streaming gains popularity, Fox is trying to bulk up its sports programming.
• The company plans to launch Fox One, a direct-to-consumer service, later this year and owns Tubi, a free, ad-supported service.

Fox Corp. said Thursday that it has acquired Caliente TV, a Mexican sports broadcasting platform, as the media company aims to expand its sports programming and attract more customers to its streaming services.

The company did not disclose the amount or terms of the deal.

In a news release, Fox said Carlos Martinez, who has worked at Turner, Discovery and Fox, has been chosen as executive vice president and managing director of Latin America for the Fox Corp.

Martinez said the acquisition reflects the company's “commitment to building a leading sports streaming business in Mexico with massive audience reach, a robust sports rights portfolio and an impressive roster of exclusive sports leagues and talent.”

Fox is bulking up its sports content as streaming becomes the top way for viewers to watch TV. For the first time, streaming surpassed the combined share of broadcast and cable TV viewing, according to a Nielsen report that tracked viewership in May. The growth of streaming has led to fierce competition between different services and a race to buy or produce programming that draws subscribers and advertising dollars.

Fox plans to launch its own direct-to-consumer streaming service, Fox One, later this year. It already owns Tubi, a free ad-supported streaming service.

With the acquisition, Fox said it will have a broader portfolio of original sports content. Its broadcast rights already include the Big Ten Conference, The United Football League and the Premier League and the FA Cup.