Discovery Plus To Merge With HBO Max

Last Updated on April 22, 2022 by Anu Joy

The merger of WarnerMedia and Discovery is almost complete. This merger will result in the formation of a new company called Warner Bros. Discovery. This will lead to drastic modifications to the HBO Max and Discovery+ streaming services, as well as the demise of the CNN+ streaming app. Following the transaction, it is planned that all content will be pooled into a single streaming service, however, this will take some time to take effect.

The merger became public after Discovery CEO David Zaslav initiated talks about it in May 2021. Following the merger, the new service will mix WarnerMedia’s scripted, theatrical, and TV programming with Discovery’s collection of unscripted and documentary specials and series from the Discovery Plus family. HGTV, TLC, ID, Food Network, OWN, Cartoon Network, and Magnolia Network are among the networks that fall under the Discovery Plus umbrella. WarnerMedia, on the other hand, only offers HBO Max in the United States.

Discovery is available in 220 countries and 50 languages while HBO Max is limited to the United States. Discovery’s global channels include Discovery Channel, TLC, ID, automotive brand Turbo, Animal Planet, Science Channel, and the Travel Channel. At the end of 2021, Discovery had 22 million streaming subscribers, and HBO Max had nearly 74 million. Post this merger, Warner Bros. Discovery is looking at a combined 100 million subscriber count, with both the companies aiming to hit the 200 million and 300 million subscriber targets in the coming years.

This deal will allow HBO Max to expand into additional countries, and there are already plans to spend $20 billion on content. DC Entertainment, which includes Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman, will be included. The merger also has the potential to tackle two fronts. First, it offers AT&T a much-needed $43 billion cash infusion, which will be used to pay off the company’s rising debt and invest in 5G networks. Furthermore, combining Warner Media’s theatrical collection, including HBO Max content and thousands of unscripted and documentary series from Discovery, will position the business to compete with the big three—Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Disney+ streaming platforms.