The shakeup of Warner Bros. Discovery and HBO continue after shelving movies like the next Scoob! movie and Batgirl. The company announced that it will combine Discovery+ and HBO Max into one service in the U.S. by summer 2023. CEO JB Perrette said that no price had been discussed and no announcement for the name of the new service will be announced. Currently, the leaders are talking about how to deliver ad-free and ad-supported models of the work-in-progress platform.
The leadership of the company talked about the second quarter subscriber numbers. When combining the numbers of HBO, HBO Max, and Discovery+, the total is 91.1 million, putting it up by 1.7 million from the previous quarter.
HBO Max and Discovery+ combining by next year
One of the biggest questions for viewers will be its pricing. Between HBO Max and Discovery+, the former is more expensive as it is $14.99 a month without ads or $9.99 a month with ads. The latter is priced at $6.99 a month without ads and $4.99 with ads.
The unified service of HBO Max and Discovery+ would combine the two different kinds of content that are associated with the platforms. Discovery is known for its unscripted series like The Blue Planet, 90 Day Fiancé, and Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives. Meanwhile, HBO’s premium service offers acclaimed scripted shows like Barry, Succession, Westworld, Game of Thrones, Hacks, and The White Lotus, which is releasing its second season this October.
Discovery+ launched last year, putting it in the growing phase. Meanwhile, HBO Max has had time to establish a name for itself. Following what HBO has done with Game of Thrones, Sopranos, and more, it has lifted the bar for TV storytelling to rival film. With films being taken off the platform, cancelled projects that were almost done, and the overall shakeup of merging two platforms worries subscribers about the future of the content and its quality.
