Summary
- Paramount Skydance has officially confirmed plans to merge HBO Max and Paramount+ into a single streaming service following the completion of its Warner Bros. Discovery acquisition
- Paramount CEO David Ellison announced the move during an investor call, noting the combined platform will boast over 200 million direct-to-consumer subscribers
- Despite the massive consolidation, Ellison emphasized that the prestige HBO brand will continue to operate with creative independence under network chief Casey Bloys
Streaming subscribers are officially in for another massive shakeup. Following its victorious bid to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery, Paramount Skydance has announced plans to combine HBO Max and Paramount+ into a single, unified streaming platform.
Paramount CEO David Ellison confirmed the monumental shift during an investor call on Monday, outlining an aggressive strategy to consolidate the company’s streaming assets to better compete with industry titans like Netflix and Prime Video. “As we said, we do plan to put the two services together, which today gives us a little over 200 million direct-to-consumer subscribers,” Ellison revealed. “We think the combined offering, and given the amount of content and what we can do from the tech side, really will put us in a position to be able to compete with the most scaled players in DTC.”
While the exact setup of the new unified app—and any potential subscription price hikes—remains unclear, Ellison sought to reassure fans of Warner Bros. Discovery’s prestige television output. Acknowledging the cultural weight of the network, the CEO confirmed that the HBO brand will be largely protected from heavy corporate oversight. “Our viewpoint is HBO should stay HBO. They built a phenomenal brand. They are a leader in the space, and we just want them to continue doing more of it,” Ellison stated, specifically praising network chief Casey Bloys and guaranteeing that HBO will “operate with independence.”
The combined streaming platform will bridge an unprecedented catalog of blockbuster intellectual property, seamlessly merging the Game of Thrones, Harry Potter, and DC universes alongside Paramount staples like Star Trek and Yellowstone. The company expects to complete the initial consolidation of its existing internal services by the middle of 2026, paving the way for the eventual integration of HBO Max once the $110 billion USD mega-merger officially closes.
While the Warner Bros. Discovery merger is still pending final regulatory approvals, the unified HBO Max and Paramount+ platform is expected to begin taking shape later in 2026.
