Get Ready for HBO Max and Discovery+ to Become One Mega-Service

Months after asserting that WarnerMedia and Discovery will merge into one media behemoth someday in 2022, executives hinted throughout an earnings name on Wednesday that it most likely makes numerous monetary sense for his or her flagship streaming providers, HBO Max and Discovery+, to combine into one entity, too.

JB Perrette, president and CEO of Discovery Streaming and International, stated throughout the earnings name that the salvaged components of each streaming providers would quantity to an “incredibly attractive tech buffet” for customers to choose from. In describing the subsequent steps for the 2 corporations, Perrette added that customers may see the merger unfold in two steps: an preliminary part that sees the 2 providers bundled collectively, after which a secondary part the place the 2 streaming providers are fused into one frequent platform.

“There will be meaningful cost savings from combining into one platform,” Perrette stated. “I think there also will be meaningful consumer benefits from combining into one platform.”

Bundling the 2 providers is unquestionably an fascinating thought, notably as a result of there doesn’t appear to be a ton of overlap of their subscriber bases to start with. While HBO Max strikes a fragile stability of status drama, documentaries, and comedy choices, Discovery+ is generally filled with fluffier content material, together with dwelling reworking exhibits, actuality relationship exhibits, and no matter Carole Baskin’s Cage Fight is.

Still, executives on each side of the merger appear happy with how issues are coming alongside so far—and nobody appears happier than the top brass at AT&T, the corporate that unloaded WarnerMedia simply three years after convincing the Justice Department to approve the transaction.

It’s the circle of life, no less than so far as the streaming wars are involved: Big multinational corporations create streaming platforms, purchase one another, retreat from their preliminary investments, after which attempt to bundle their huge providers collectively in an effort to shore up customers and market worth. At the top of the day, probably the most clients can do is cross their fingers and hope their streaming subscriptions nonetheless find yourself cheaper than cable.