Combined HBO Max, Discovery+ to launch in 2023
August 5, 2022
Warner Bros Discovery has revealed further details about its plan to combine SVoD services HBO Max and Discovery+ into one offering.
Speaking during the company’s Q2 analyst call, executives said a merged version of the two SVoD services would begin to roll out in the US in the summer of 2023 and expand to other countries during the following two years. It anticipates that the combined service will hit 130 million subscribers globally in 2025.
The company, reporting combined results for the first time, also revealed 92.1 million streaming subscribers at the end of the second quarter, an increase of 1.7 million from the end of the first quarter. In the US and Canada, the company lost about 300,000 subscribers to end the quarter with 53 million. Internationally, subscriptions increased by 2 million to 39.1 million.
Executives also revealed that an ad-based streaming service is in the works.
Revealing the Q2 results, David Zaslav, President and Chief Executive Officer of Warner Bros. Discovery said, “We’ve had a busy, productive four months since launching Warner Bros. Discovery, and have more conviction than ever in the massive opportunity ahead. We have the most powerful creative engine and bouquet of owned content in the world, as highlighted by our industry leading 193 Emmy nominations, and we intend to maximise the value of that content through a broad distribution model that includes theatrical, streaming, linear cable, free-to-air, gaming, consumer products and experiences, and more, everywhere in the world. We’re confident we’re on the right path to meet our strategic goals and really excel, both creatively and financially, and couldn’t be more excited about the future of our company.”