The direction and future of the streaming service came under scrutiny when Warner Bros. Discovery, which had previously managed HBO Max, was formed in April. HBO Max and Discovery+ will combine to form a single streaming service, Warner Bros.
Discovery president David Zaslav stated this on an earnings call on August 4 just as speculation about the two-year-old platform’s impending demise reached a fever pitch.
The media conglomerate plans to launch the new streaming platform in the United States in the summer of 2023, with additional territories to follow in 2024, even though they haven’t decided on a new name yet.
In the end, combining all the material was the only solution, according to JB Perrette, CEO of Warner Bros. and head of worldwide streaming and games, during the investors’ call, Variety reports. They want to offer “something for everyone in the household,” he claimed.
Naturally, users had many queries in response to the announcement. The whole scoop on what the merger implies for you is provided below.
How Will HBO Max and Discovery+ Alter?
Zaslav indicated that the business is thinking about offering a free, advertisement-supported version of the integrated platform, however, the membership costs for the new streaming service won’t be revealed right away.
The current monthly cost of Discovery+ starts at $4.99, and the ad-supported tier of HBO Max is $10.
The merger will close the gender disparity between demographics, according to one slide from the executive’s Aug. 4 presentation that drew harsh criticism on social media.
According to Zaslav’s study, HBO Max has a male tilt and emphasizes scripted content, appointment viewing, and becoming the “home of fandoms,” among other things. He further claimed that more women who want relaxed, unscripted “comfort television” watch Discovery+.
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Which Discovery+ and HBO Max Programs Will Be Impacted?
Despite initial concerns from some viewers that favorites like Euphoria would be in jeopardy, it’s important to note that the change will only impact Max Originals. In light of this, it can be said that shows like Euphoria, Succession, Westworld, Barry, and The White Lotus, among others, are unquestionably safe.
The Max Original shows from Warner Bros. Discovery include And Just Like That…, Gossip Girl, Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin, Hacks, Harley Quinn, The Flight Attendant, and Rap Sh!t, though executives from the company made no statements regarding the future of any particular series.
HBO Warner Bros. and DC Comics movies are also produced at Max, thus the way new movies are released may change in the future. The “prior strategy” of streaming movies directly was rejected by Zaslav and his crew.
Discovery+, meanwhile, is where viewers can watch reality TV from channels like Discovery Channel, HGTV, Food Network, Magnolia Network, and TLC. On August 19, Discovery+ will also introduce a CNN Originals hub, which will feature shows including Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown, Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy, and United Shades of America with W. Kamau Bell.
There won’t be much of a wait for current HBO Max and Discovery+ subscribers to enjoy cross-platform programming. On Sept. 30, “certain material” from the Magnolia Network, run by Chip and Joanna Gaines, will be available on HBO Max.
What Tv Shows and Movies Have Been Discontinued or Removed?
On the other hand, viewers have already noted that six HBO Max original films, including Moonshot, An American Pickle, The Witches, Superintelligence, Locked Down, and Charm City Kings, have been taken off the site. (However, all of the movies may be bought or rented on VOD services.) LeBron James’ House Party revival was supposed to debut on July 28, but Vulture reported that the streamer secretly took the film off the schedule.
Since then, shows like Vinyl, Camping, Mrs. Fletcher, Run, and Here and Now have also been pulled from HBO Max.
The official HBO Max Help account responded to a Twitter complaint regarding the loss of At Home With Amy Sedaris in July by saying, “We’re making some modifications to our services as we work to bring together HBO Max and discovery+. Select content is removed as part of that procedure.
The news of the merger followed rumors that the studio had canceled the previously approved film Scoob!: Holiday Haunt and Batgirl. Leslie Grace is “an exceptionally gifted actor and our decision is not a judgment of her performance,” a Warner Bros.
Pictures representative stated in a statement on August 3. “The decision to not release Batgirl reflects our leadership’s strategic shift as it relates to the DC universe and HBO Max.”
HBO Max also terminated Gordita Chronicles less than a week prior, indicating a shift away from family-friendly programming.
Live-action children’s and family programming will not be part of our programming focus in the near future, a spokeswoman said in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter on July 29.
In fact, HBO Max also decided to discontinue Ellen DeGeneres’ Little Ellen preschool series before the start of Season 3.
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The HBO Max & Discovery+ Get Reaction from Celebrities Merger
Oscar winner for Hair Love Matthew A. Cherry wrote, “This is a severe blow,” in reference to the streamer’s departure from family-friendly material.
Issa Rae, whose shows Rap Sh!t and Sweet Life: Los Angeles are both now airing, quipped in an Aug. 3 tweet that she was “seeking somebody to woo and conspire at Discovery,” making reference to a made-up Rap Sh!t song. This was even before the merger announcement.
me finding who to seduce and scheme at Discovery pic.twitter.com/YJuZalm6DP
— Issa Rae (@IssaRae) August 4, 2022
She responded that people still “should watch that sh!t” when a Twitter follower questioned the following day whether there was “any point to watching” her first scripted series since Insecure or whether Discovery was “giving [her] the boot too.”
Chrissy Teigen questioned whether there might be some revisionist history taking on as other viewers expressed their nostalgia for HBO Max, stating, “All anyone is saying is how much we loved HBO max.
We’re being served choco tacos. She also disclosed on August 4 that she had just sold an HBO Max written show this year, which appears to be in limbo at the moment.
Fans still have time to continue enjoying the content that is still available, even though it appears like changes may come gradually over the coming year.