HBO Max/Discovery+ Merger

[Bruce]

So we’re they better off keeping the apps separate and not merging with Discovery +.

The smart thing would of been shut down Discovery+, create a year long deal for those subscribers at $9.99 for MAX Ad Free or $7.99 with ads, that way it would only be a few dollars more then what they pay now.

For only a few dollars more, $3 for with ads and without, doubtful many would cancel, brings in more revenue and saves money and tax benefits for the elimination of Discovery+.

 

[mackie99]

https://gizmodo.com/warner-bros-max-streaming-earnings-losing-subscribers-1850703372

 

[SamCdbs]

Pop goes the bubble.

This is indicative of the entire industry. Obviously, streaming is unprofitable. So they are trying to "rebundle", adding in disparate sorts of content, just like cable. In other words, forcing consumers to buy things they don't want. Just like cable.

The stuff on HBO, the stuff on Discovery, and whatever they find in the TW rerun vault are unlikely to appeal to the same person or family group. The Market, in its perfection, responds. It, as It always does, votes with its feet.

 

[Don in CT]

Pop goes the bubble.

This is indicative of the entire industry. Obviously, streaming is unprofitable. So they are trying to "rebundle", adding in disparate sorts of content, just like cable. In other words, forcing consumers to buy things they don't want. Just like cable.

The stuff on HBO, the stuff on Discovery, and whatever they find in the TW rerun vault are unlikely to appeal to the same person or family group. The Market, in its perfection, responds. It, as It always does, votes with its feet.

Honestly I want all of the content in once place. One app with everything in it. That will never happen but that’s the only way to make streaming work.

 

[navychop]

Good idea. And even better if they could send it directly to us, even without Internet, say, over a satellite - Oh, Wait!

 

[ncted]

Pop goes the bubble.

This is indicative of the entire industry. Obviously, streaming is unprofitable. So they are trying to "rebundle", adding in disparate sorts of content, just like cable. In other words, forcing consumers to buy things they don't want. Just like cable.

The stuff on HBO, the stuff on Discovery, and whatever they find in the TW rerun vault are unlikely to appeal to the same person or family group. The Market, in its perfection, responds. It, as It always does, votes with its feet.

I wonder how many of the lost subscribers were HBO fans sick of the new management deleting their favorite content in favor of Discovery content or vice versa. I am not a huge fan of the new Max's content offerings, but I get it for free, so meh. If not, I'd probably get it once a year to watch a couple of things, like I do with Starz and Britbox. I think some platforms can make the DTC model work, like Netflix, Hulu, and the old HBO, but not much more than that. After the musical Star Trek episode last night, I fear for the future of Paramount+.

 

[SamCdbs]

Honestly I want all of the content in once place. One app with everything in it. That will never happen but that’s the only way to make streaming work.

We had that. It was called the bundle. It was wonderful.

 

[ncted]

We had that. It was called the bundle. It was wonderful.

Except it wasn't. High prices that increased every 6-12 months, filler content on channels no one watches, declining picture quality, contracts, obstacles to cancellation even if you were out of contract. It was good, but it had a lot of problems -- still does have most of those problems.

 

[Juan]

Except it wasn't. High prices that increased every 6-12 months, filler content on channels no one watches, declining picture quality, contracts, obstacles to cancellation even if you were out of contract. It was good, but it had a lot of problems -- still does have most of those problems.

Same exact thing is happening with streaming

 

[Bruce]

Same exact thing is happening with streaming

Ummm, much better picture quality, much better sound quality.

How much content on Traditional Providers is in 4K vs streaming?

Easy to drop programing or never subscribe that you never watch ( Discovery suite of channels , A&E channels /, local RSN along with the unavoidable fee/ channels that are just reruns, not channels that have new content along with reruns,/ Disney suite of channels like Disney Channel, Disney Jr, toon Disney, etc, etc.

No more 2 times a year price increases, both Comcast and Charter did this, begining of the year programing and fees went up, this month, fees ( for example Broadcast and RSN went up for Comcast, Broadcast/BOX/DVR went up for Charter/Spectrum).

If you want to get your bill down, you can drop a service or two that you do not watch that much.

 

[Juan]

Ummm, much better picture quality, much better sound quality.

How much content on Traditional Providers is in 4K vs streaming?

Easy to drop programing or never subscribe that you never watch ( Discovery suite of channels , A&E channels /, local RSN along with the unavoidable fee/ channels that are just reruns, not channels that have new content along with reruns,/ Disney suite of channels like Disney Channel, Disney Jr, toon Disney, etc, etc.

No more 2 times a year price increases, both Comcast and Charter did this, begining of the year programing and fees went up, this month, fees ( for example Broadcast and RSN went up for Comcast, Broadcast/BOX/DVR went up for Charter/Spectrum).

If you want to get your bill down, you can drop a service or two that you do not watch that much.

That works for today..not tomorrow

 

[Bruce]

That works for today..not tomorrow

So you expect me to subscribe to a service based on what might happen tomorrow vs the better quality of streaming today?

You must really hate Movies and Television programming if you do not want to view it in the best picture and sound.

 

[Bruce]

Last week they announced that a CNN Live Feed will be added to MAX this year, now sports.

https://cordcuttersnews.com/warner-...-stream-live-mlb-nba-and-nhl-games-this-fall/

So, as predicted by a few here, MAX is being turned into some kind of mini bundle like cable tv.

Smart play, because it will add more advertising revenue ( more eyes watching, which increases rates and helps sell ads) for Warner/Discovery.

If they charge extra, I have no interest personally.

 

[Juan]

So you expect me to subscribe to a service based on what might happen tomorrow vs the better quality of streaming today?

You must really hate Movies and Television programming if you do not want to view it in the best picture and sound.

I am saying what you have today will be completely different 5 years from now..nobody said anything about switching back to cable

 

[Bruce]

I am saying what you have today will be completely different 5 years from now..nobody said anything about switching back to cable

Good, Television has always been about change, if not , we would still be using rabbit ears watching Kinescope broadcasts on a tube TV.

I remember when Cable got big and parents going we do not need that, or when satellite started up and people going cable was good enough, etc, etc.

Who knows what will come next.

 

[SamCdbs]

How many people watch CNN? Well it is the third player in a two player game. 534 thousand people per night last month. Of course they tried to sell CNN a la carte, more or less, with CNN+ and sold almost 100 thousand in a nation of 340 million people, before they shut it down a couple weeks after launch.

So, welcome back to the bundle. If you are one of the 0.1% of people who actually wants CNN, you get to pay for it; if you are in the 99.9% that doesn't, you get to pay for it.

Just like cable.

Except 10 bills instead of one, and less content.

 

[Bruce]

Except 10 bills instead of one, and less content.

Except for what I pay for with Gift Cards I get with my Credit Card Points, I get one bill and actually only once ( for each) per year since I pay yearly, see it on my statement.

$200 for HBOMAX, $50 for commercial free Peacock.

Netflix, Disney, ESPN+, Hulu, Paramount, Vudu ( for new movies), NFL Sunday Ticket and YouTube TV, all paid with points, so free.

 

[SamCdbs]

OK, gift card points are not something you pay for. Its all, somehow, free.

Right. Whatever.

In the real world, no matter what some single person does, somehow convinced things are free that he pays for, the consumer now faces 8 to 10 bills, for less content than before. As predicted.

 

[Bruce]

OK, gift card points are not something you pay for. It’s all, somehow, free.

It is free, it costs me no more if use the card or pay in cash, for example I pay my Health Insurance every month online with my card, then I get about 10% of the purchase back in points.

And I pay my bill off every month, no annual charge on the card.

In the real world, no matter what some single person does, somehow convinced things are free that he pays for, the consumer now faces 8 to 10 bills, for less content than before. As predicted.

Nope, one bill, credit statement, auto paid.

 

[SamCdbs]

I think you really believe that. That is really sad.

I buy restaurant gift cards at Kroger, Kroger gives me 40 cents off gas for every $100 buck I spend, and I am going to eat out at some point. Have I figured out how to get gas for free? Nope, because I am smart enough to know that Kroger is in business to make money and the gas discount is added into the costs and made up elsewhere.

Likewise, T-Mobile "gives" me Netflix, Apple TV, MLS, and MLB.TV for "free". Have I gamed the system? Nope, because I am smart enough to know T-Mobile is in business to make money and the costs of the "free" stuff is made up elsewhere, including the "free" Crazy Bread every week from Little Caesar's.

Because nothing is free. These are life pro tips, but nothing more than that.

And, BTW, I charge everything and thus pay "one bill" on a hyper literal sense of that word, too. I am smart enough to understand that I don't get my electricity and my car insurance and my groceries from the same vendor, even though I do, hyper literal basis, pay just "one bill".

Anyway, welcome to the bundle. Only with ten bills rather than one, and with less content. Enjoy.