Looking for a premium streaming service that delivers the ultimate entertainment experience? Look no further than HBO Max and Discovery Plus new collaboration! With their combined expertise in producing award-winning content, this powerful duo has created a one-of-a-kind platform that promises to max out your streaming experience like never before. Whether you’re looking for gripping dramas, edge-of-your-seat thrillers, or mind-bending documentaries, HBO Max and Discovery have got you covered. So what are you waiting for? Get ready to immerse yourself in an unforgettable world of top-notch entertainment – all at your fingertips.
In an event held Wednesday, Warner Bros. announced that HBO Max and Discovery Plus will merge to create a streaming service called “Max.” The new service is expected to launch on May 23rd, and will cost up to $19.99 per month, with two lower tiers available at $15.99 and $9.99.
“Max is the one to watch,” CEO David Zaslav said. “It’s the one to watch since everyone in the family can go there at any time to see exactly what they want.”
For $19.99 per month, you get 4K HDR Dolby Atmos for some content, 100 offline downloads, and four concurrent streams, while for $15.99 per month, you get HD quality, two concurrent streams, and 30 offline downloads. The cheapest plan with ads offers two concurrent streams and HD quality.
HBO Max’s regular app will be discontinued on May 23rd, but Discovery Plus will remain available for $4.99 per month with ads or $6.99 per month without ads as a standalone option. HBO Max users, their profiles, watch histories, and billing information will be automatically transferred to the new service by Warner Bros. Discovery.
This move has been in the works for quite some time (long enough for Warner Bros. Discovery to think of a better name than “Max”). Last year, WarnerMedia completed its messy merger with Discovery, which led to the elimination of several shows and movies. The company also announced plans to create a single streaming app around that time.
Warner Bros. Discovery hinted at some Max Originals coming to the service, including DC’s The Penguin, a spinoff of The Big Bang Theory, and a “fresh take” on The Conjuring. In addition, Zaslav highlighted the company’s popular franchises, such as Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Game of Thrones, Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Sesame Street, and Looney Tunes, which it plans to utilize.
I guess the “Max” name makes sense in a way, since it doesn’t favor HBO nor Discovery and aligns with Warner Bros. Discovery’s aim to make the app seem like an all-encompassing service, so it makes sense in a way. Discovery Plus’ mishmash of unscripted shows such as Fixer Upper and Dr. Pimple Popper will come together with HBO Max’s original content, including Succession, The Last of Us, and Game of Thrones.
Warner Bros. Discovery’s JB Perrette has acknowledged some important shortcomings in both the HBO Max and Discovery Plus apps, and they plan to address these with a new interface for Max. This will include content navigation, personalized recommendations, and a shortcut to save favorite shows in watch later lists. It is hoped that this will also help resolve any issues of bugginess with the app.
The goal is to build a streaming service that offers enough variety of content to beat rivals like Netflix and Disney Plus. According to Zaslav, the streaming service will succeed as the combined company owns the entire ecosystem of content that will be available on the merged app.
“Netflix and Disney are great companies, but we have a portfolio of content that is very diverse and broadly appealing,” Zaslav said at the time. “Over the long run, it could be up to 400 million homes.”
As of now, Warner Bros. Discovery hopes to reach 130 million subscribers by 2025 across HBO, Discovery Plus, and what will now be known as Max. There are currently about 96.1 million global subscribers for the three services, including the 1.1 million they added in the fourth quarter of 2022. However, Netflix has around 230 million subscribers.
With users already locked into their favorite streaming services or looking to cut back amid a pattern of price hikes, Warner Bros. Discovery will have to figure out how to snag more subscribers. Will a huge variety of content suffice for that? We’ll find out soon.
