Discovery will soon become Warner Bros. Discovery when its merger with AT&T’s WarnerMedia is complete next month, and as expected the newly formed company will combine their two streaming services — Discovery Plus and HBO Max — into a single service.
According to Variety Discovery CFO Gunnar Wiedenfels confirmed this week that Discovery will combine the two streamers amid speculation over the future of this newly joined company. “One of the most important items here is that we believe in a combined product as opposed to a bundle,” Wiedenfels says.
Analysts didn’t have a clear view on whether Warner Bros. Discovery would combine the two services, or offer a bundle similar to the one Disney offers for Disney+, ESPN+, and Hulu.
However, Wiedenfels also confirmed that combining HBO Max and Discovery Plus into a new service will take some time. And so in the immediate future, there will be a bundle for the two streaming services before a new app is ready.
Discovery Plus is currently available for $4.99 a month with ads or $6.99 without, while HBO Max costs $9.99 for an ad-supported version or $14.99 for the ad-free version. No word yet on what a combined streaming service will cost.
WarnerMedia and Discovery announced the $43 billion deal in 2021, three years after AT&T acquired WarnerMedia for $85 billion. The merger will combine WarnerMedia’s vast catalog of movies and TV shows with Discovery’s library of unscripted programming, think reality shows, and docu-series.
HBO Max will bring shows like Game of Thrones, The Sopranos, and movies like Dune and The Batman together with Discovery’s hit reality shows like 90 Day Fiance and Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives.
While the two sides bring different shows and movies to the table, combined it could potentially offer a “something for everyone” package, especially if the price is compelling. For more on the massive deal check out IGN’s in-depth explainer on the merger.
Source: https://www.ign.com/articles/hbo-max-discovery-plus-combined-streaming-service-warner-bros