HBO Max and Discovery+ Will Merge Into One Streaming Platform

HBO Max will soon disappear from the streaming scene. At its first earnings call since the two media companies merged earlier this year, Warner Bros. Discovery revealed that it is planning to merge HBOMax and Discovery+ into one streaming service that will release in the summer of 2023. We don’t know if the new streamer will reference HBO at all. The company’s head of global streaming JB Perrette said that the company is still doing research on how consumers feel about the brand name.

The news comes on the heels of the merged company’s $3.42 billion net loss during the second quarter. “At the end of the day, putting all the content together was the only way we saw to make this a viable business,” Perrette told analysts.

The company needs to cut $3 billion in costs, so there are rumors that a gutting of HBO Max is now underway. Executives didn’t hint at the name of the new platform or any price details but did note that it will come with an ad-free and less costly ad-supported plan. It may also add a free, ad-supported tier to grow the audience even more.

No mention was made of layoffs, and we don’t know how the merger will impact future content productions. The company did reveal this week that it was canceling two movies in development for HBO Max — Batgirl and Scoob!. And the streamer revealed it was canceling the show The Gordita Chronicles and putting an end to live-action kids and family programming.

Source: Engadget