Skydance, the new company name of the combined Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery, shared a piece of information about the future of its streaming services in its announcement about the merger finally being finalized today. One line in the press release suggests that Paramount+ and HBO Max will be merged into one service.
Specific plans for the two streaming services weren’t discussed, but the announcement does say: “At the same time, consumers can expect greater innovation from a company built with technology at its core, including significant improvements to its direct-to-consumer streaming products, which will unify into a single service over time.”
That’s a slightly different message than we’ve heard previously. When CEO David Ellison announced that the combined company would be called Skydance, he noted that Paramount and HBO would continue to have their own identities, saying: “First and foremost, as we bring Paramount and Warner Bros. together, we wanted to preserve what has made each of these studios iconic. Both have distinct identities, extraordinary legacies and brands that have resonated with audiences for generations. We never wanted a new corporate identity to diminish, alter or overshadow either one. Instead, we wanted a name that would give the combined company an identity of its own while allowing Paramount and Warner Bros. — and all our extraordinary brands — to remain in the spotlight.”
Last week, Ellison was asked whether the services would combined or be bundled. He answered, “I don’t want to comment on what is going to happen or anything like that, but I would point to the HBO Max-Disney bundle, which has been very successful,” he said, adding, “So, could you see something like that happening? That would make a lot of sense.”
Ahead of the services combining, the combining of the two companies has already started, with Ellison announcing the leadership team that will oversee TV, film, and streaming operations.
In today’s announcement, the new company says it now has a massive content library of film and television titles, along with film studios, and over 200 million streaming subscribers across platforms. The portfolio includes Top Gun, Star Trek, Harry Potter, and White Lotus, just to name a few titles. According to Skydance, over time, those franchises and titles will all be available in one place.
