Entertainment
HBO Max and Discovery+ will become one streaming service
Little is known about the deal, but hopefully it won’t cost an arm and a leg.
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UPDATE 8/4/2022 1:30 PM ET: The HBO Max app as we know it is on its way out. There’s a new streaming app coming in the summer of 2023 that combines the app with Discovery Plus.
WarnerMedia is merging with Discovery, eventually becoming Warner Bros. Discovery later this month. If all goes to plan, HBO Max and Discovery+ will be bundled together into one streaming service, reports Variety.
The details are pretty slim, but what we do know is that nothing is set in stone yet. The $43 billion merger will close sometime early in the second quarter. So as long as everything goes according to plan, we should expect to know more about the bundled service then.
So, how is this going to work? Can users use their HBO Max or Discovery+ login to access the service? There are still a lot of unanswered questions, but Discovery CFO Gunnar Wiedenfels recently had this to say at the Deutsche Bank 30th Annual Media, Internet & Telecom Conference:
“So right out of the gate, we’re working on getting the bundling approach ready, maybe a single sign-on, maybe ingesting content into the other product, etc., so that we can start to get some benefits early on. But the main thrust is going to be harmonizing the technology platform. Building one very, very strong combined direct-to-consumer product and platform, that’s going to take a while.”
With that said, pricing is still up in the air. Wiedenfels speculates the company will offer the service in two tiers. One with ads and one without.
Right now, HBO Max costs between $10 and $15 a month. For Discovery+, the monthly fee is $5 with advertising and $7 without.
So when can we expect to see this unified streaming platform that combines HBO Max and Discovery+? “Hopefully not in years, but in several months,” notes Wiedenfels.
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Editors’ Recommendations:
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- Disney+ is getting a cheaper ad-supported tier later this year
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