HBO Max and Discovery+ will combine to offer their service through a single streaming platform, Warner Bros. Discovery chief David Zaslav announced in his second-quarter earnings report.
According to NBCNews, the new platform, whose official name has not been released, will launch in 2023 first in the United States and will roll out to other regions in 2024.
Additionally, the company is considering a free, ad-supported version of the combined streaming platform, Zaslav confirmed.
Warner Media reported its finances this quarter and did not confirm the future of the streaming platform, which after canceling the production of Bat Girl and downloading six movies for no reason caused many users to point to one.
“The decision not to release Batgirl reflects the strategic shift in our leadership as it relates to the DC Universe and HBO Max,” a Warner Bros. Pictures spokesperson said in a statement.
However, the entertainment conglomerate confirmed that it achieved 92.1 million paying subscribers, a discreet but consolidated increase, from its 76.8 million subscriptions that it indicated to have in the last quarter.
The new numbers do not include Discovery’s 10 million subscribers or AT&T accounts.
Rumors about the disappearance of HBO Max
The platform has been operating for just over a year, however this week it revealed that it would cancel some productions, including: Scooby Doo and Bat Girl, the latter with a production of 90 million dollars in investment. The news surprised fans, who questioned a possible merger of the platform with the other Warner Media businesses.
David Zaslav, the company’s CEO, took the helm in April and is prioritizing cost-cutting measures and refocusing the company’s content strategy. This raised questions about the future of HBO Max’s other film and television projects, and many subscribers took to social media worried that their favorite shows might be cut next.
Although the concern is based on cost cutting, some analysts point out that it is a restructuring movement.
“Although the stated explanation for stopping Batgirl refers to changing strategies regarding feature films being released directly to streaming platforms, this seems like a notable decision given how far along production was,” Robert Thompson told CNBC. a Syracuse University professor and pop culture expert. “It’s like burning down your house just before paying off the mortgage.”
But many others point out that it is part of a movement in the face of the crisis that other streaming companies are experiencing, such as Netflix, which continues to lose subscribers and hopes to lose more.
