HBO Max/Discovery+ Merger

[ncted]

To be honest, I expected it to be a larger increase.

 

[NashGuy]

An increase of about $1 on the ad-free plan while keeping the ad-lite plan at $9.99 is what I have repeatedly predicted, as they have to keep their pricing close to their major competitors (Netflix, Disney+ Hulu combo). Although I suppose it's possible that we see a second price hike in a few months when HBO Max and Discovery+ merge.

 

[meStevo]

Oh no, 7% increase, there goes the streaming market*

* according to people who don't stream and have been predicting it's collapse

 

[Bruce]

An increase of about $1 on the ad-free plan while keeping the ad-lite plan at $9.99 is what I have repeatedly predicted, as they have to keep their pricing close to their major competitors (Netflix, Disney+ Hulu combo). Although I suppose it's possible that we see a second price hike in a few months when HBO Max and Discovery+ merge.

They will have to do a second price hike, a $1 is not going to help them, found this-

Warner Bros. Discovery's balance sheet is downright frightening. The company has a total debt of $50.4 billion, with just $2.5 billion of cash on hand. Interest payments in the third quarter alone totaled $555 million. This would be less of a problem if the company was churning out cash, but it's not. Elevated costs and a tough advertising environment led to a free cash flow loss in the third quarter.

Warner Bros. Discovery Stock Has Been Left for Dead -- Is It Time to Buy? | The Motley Fool

The media company is buried in debt, but it has a ton of potential.

www.fool.com

 

[mackie99]

Discovery+ will remain as a standalone streaming platform after all

HBO Max subscribers will soon likely have to pay more for a service that folds in Discovery+ content. However, Warner Bros. Discovery now says Discovery+ will still be available as a standalone service in the US.

www.engadget.com

 

[ncted]

Discovery+ will remain as a standalone streaming platform after all

HBO Max subscribers will soon likely have to pay more for a service that folds in Discovery+ content. However, Warner Bros. Discovery now says Discovery+ will still be available as a standalone service in the US.

www.engadget.com

Good for the Discovery+ subs. Bad news for HBOmax subs who aren't interested in Discovery+ content and paying more for it.

 

[Bruce]

Good for the Discovery+ subs. Bad news for HBOmax subs who aren't interested in Discovery+ content and paying more for it.

I said it here-

Now with Warner/Discovery‘s cost cutting, it is about to become Discovery+ with a few HBO type series and Warner movies.

The main reason, Discovery+ programming is cheaper to produce and largely already paid for by being on the cable channels first with per sub fees and advertising.

Main reason, $50 billion in debt, out of cash, bond/debt payments due, advertising revenue way down, per sub fees way down for their cable channels and all, except for one, movies flopped at the Box Office in 2022, the worse was Black Adam with at least $200 million in losses.

And the article seems to confirm it-
Discovery+ has low operating costs and is turning a profit, according to the Journal's sources. However, WBD is cutting billions in costs since it formed last year as a result of a merger between WarnerMedia and Discovery. The company has been yanking shows from HBO Max and canceling streaming-exclusive projects, reportedly in favor of using them as tax write-offs.

So, cancel a lot of HBO type shows, put up Discovery type shows , charge $19.99 is my guess.

Also read they canceled a bunch of planned content because of cost savings, the only going forward are sure fire hits, Jon Snow GOT spin off, DC stuff.

Me canceling HBO, will do the subscribe one month out of the year, binge, cancel again, no more yearly out of me.

 

[ncted]

I said it here-

And the article seems to confirm it-
Discovery+ has low operating costs and is turning a profit, according to the Journal's sources. However, WBD is cutting billions in costs since it formed last year as a result of a merger between WarnerMedia and Discovery. The company has been yanking shows from HBO Max and canceling streaming-exclusive projects, reportedly in favor of using them as tax write-offs.

So, cancel a lot of HBO type shows, put up Discovery type shows , charge $19.99 is my guess.

Also read they canceled a bunch of planned content because of cost savings, the only going forward are sure fire hits, Jon Snow GOT spin off, DC stuff.

Me canceling HBO, will do the subscribe one month out of the year, binge, cancel again, no more yearly out of me.

Yeah. I'll keep subbing as long as it is free with my AT&T Fiber. If not, I'll get it a month here or there.

 

[Josephinelcajon]

I get HBO with ATT I fear loosing that. I pay for Discovery and feel I use it the most of all the streaming services! I can stand a Doller or two increase IF new content comes with that.

 

[KAB]

I get HBO with ATT I fear loosing that. I pay for Discovery and feel I use it the most of all the streaming services! I can stand a Doller or two increase IF new content comes with that.

I get enough streamers underwritten in part, heavily discounted or paid for so I will keep HBO a while longer,

 

[Bruce]

I honestly believe that this company does not know what they are doing-

Warner Bros. Discovery might be flip-flopping on a plan to combine its HBO Maxand Discovery Plus streaming services into a single direct-to-consumer product.

According to The Wall Street Journal, the debt-laden WBD now plans to keep Discovery Plus as a stand-alone service.

So, the main reason to combine services was cost savings, but if they continue to offer Discovery+, that obviously is not true.

More and more evidence they are going to use Discovery+ content to pad HBO (the new MAX) , keep cutting and not developing as much HBO type content.

Then raise the price to $19.99 a month.

My year is up in July, I will see what kind of a service it is.

Warner Bros. Discovery May Not Combine HBO Max With Discovery Plus After All (UPDATED)

Company says Discovery Plus will continue as low-priced offering for consumers, but a service combining content from HBO Max and Discovery will still be rolled out

www.nexttv.com

Warner Bros Discovery Abandons Plan To Shut Down Discovery+ As Stand-Alone Service As It Moves Ahead With HBO Max Merger

In a change of strategy, Warner Bros Discovery has ditched plans to merge HBO Max and Discovery+, according to the Wall Street Journal.

deadline.com

 

[Josephinelcajon]

I honestly believe that this company does not know what they are doing-

Warner Bros. Discovery might be flip-flopping on a plan to combine its HBO Maxand Discovery Plus streaming services into a single direct-to-consumer product.

According to The Wall Street Journal, the debt-laden WBD now plans to keep Discovery Plus as a stand-alone service.

So, the main reason to combine services was cost savings, but if they continue to offer Discovery+, that obviously is not true.

More and more evidence they are going to use Discovery+ content to pad HBO (the new MAX) , keep cutting and not developing as much HBO type content.

Then raise the price to $19.99 a month.

My year is up in July, I will see what kind of a service it is.

Warner Bros. Discovery May Not Combine HBO Max With Discovery Plus After All (UPDATED)

Company says Discovery Plus will continue as low-priced offering for consumers, but a service combining content from HBO Max and Discovery will still be rolled out

www.nexttv.com

Warner Bros Discovery Abandons Plan To Shut Down Discovery+ As Stand-Alone Service As It Moves Ahead With HBO Max Merger

In a change of strategy, Warner Bros Discovery has ditched plans to merge HBO Max and Discovery+, according to the Wall Street Journal.

deadline.com

I think your spot on! This will be like Disney/Hulu bundle

 

[Josephinelcajon]

Anyone with a Samsung device especially smart TV can stream SamsungTV for absolutely FREE! There are a lot of stations some even local ones!

 

[NashGuy]

I honestly believe that this company does not know what they are doing-

I believe you are correct, sir.

As for raising the price to $19.99/mo -- which I did read today is an option that had been discussed internally at WBD for the combined service -- they're going to lose a ton of HBO subs if they do that. If that's what happens, then I'd just go with the cheaper ad-supported plan as long as it continued to keep all the actual HBO content ad-free.

 

[Bruce]

I believe you are correct, sir.

As for raising the price to $19.99/mo -- which I did read today is an option that had been discussed internally at WBD for the combined service -- they're going to lose a ton of HBO subs if they do that. If that's what happens, then I'd just go with the cheaper ad-supported plan as long as it continued to keep all the actual HBO content ad-free.

If they keep both services separate and then a combined option, I have no problem except it is pretty obvious they are cutting down the HBO type programming because they are having so many money issues.

If they only offer HBO with Discovery, I will then only subscribe one or two month at different times of the year to binge whatever.

But since they have canceled so much, just read Titans was cancelled months ago, but only just announced, it and Doom Patrol was canceled even before James Gunn took over DC.

So, as of now, the only series’ I have a interest in is Last of Us and House of Dragons, I took a look at new upcoming scripted programming, only two new series , the Idol ( about some music star and a cult)-yech and The Sympathizer , slim pickings beyond that.

 

[NashGuy]

If they keep both services separate and then a combined option, I have no problem except it is pretty obvious they are cutting down the HBO type programming because they are having so many money issues.

Seems like it's more the Max Originals that are getting thinned out, not so much the HBO Originals. There are several of those still ongoing that I really like: The White Lotus, Barry, The Righteous Gemstones, Perry Mason, C.B. Strike, Somebody Somewhere. I'll also watch The Last of Us when I re-subscribe this summer and maybe I'll finally start Succession, which gets such raves. Also looking forward to the Watergate limited series The White House Plumbers. A couple of Max Original limited series coming this year look good too: Love and Death, as well as Full Circle. And then there are the docs and docu-series that HBO is so good at making.

Despite it all, HBO Max remains the overall best source for high-quality television, IMO. I'm just taking a few months off to catch up on some stuff I want to see on Hulu and Netflix. I'll definitely be back, whatever they call it, although we'll have to see which plan, based on what they do with pricing.

 

[Bruce]

q

Seems like it's more the Max Originals that are getting thinned out, not so much the HBO Originals. There are several of those still ongoing that I really like: The White Lotus, Barry, The Righteous Gemstones, Perry Mason, C.B. Strike, Somebody Somewhere. I'll also watch The Last of Us when I re-subscribe this summer and maybe I'll finally start Succession, which gets such raves. Also looking forward to the Watergate limited series The White House Plumbers. A couple of Max Original limited series coming this year look good too: Love and Death, as well as Full Circle.

Most of those I have not seen, not because I do not want to, it is just because there is so much content out there.

If HBO stays standalone, I will keep it at yearly, I just have a issue with paying extra for content I will never watch or want

I do not subscribe to it now, why would I want to if it is combined with HBO at $20 a month.

Despite it all, HBO Max remains the overall best source for high-quality television, IMO. I'm just taking a few months off to catch up on some stuff I want to see on Hulu and Netflix. I'll definitely be back, whatever they call it, although we'll have to see which plan, based on what they do with pricing.

While it is high quality, it is not the only place anymore as it used to be, there is plenty of high quality on other services, The Offer on Paramount+ seemed like a HBO type show for one example.

 

[navychop]

Maybe streamers will start to wean people over with a three month commitment, moving to full year later. Doom if they don’t.

 

[Bruce]

Maybe streamers will start to wean people over with a three month commitment, moving to full year later. Doom if they don’t.

Some already do that, HBOMAX, Disney+, Peacock and Paramount+ offer a yearly deal with a discount.

 

[Foxbat]

I already set Apple to not renew my HBO Max this month. I’ll watch the current episode of “The Last of Us” and maybe do a month come our summer vacation.

I bought the big Blu-ray box set of “Game of Thrones” one Black Friday so I can watch that whenever.

Buh-bye…