You know how you always complain that there are too many streaming services and it seems like you have to pay for about five different platforms just to watch the 10 shows you listen to?
That may be about to change. The much-promised consolidation of the sector seems to be happening at last.
This morning, Warner Bros. Discovery announced that it will combine the media conglomerate’s two existing streaming services, HBO Max and Discovery+, into one service.
While neither HBO Max nor Discovery+ operate in Australia, the significance of today’s news could herald upcoming industry changes that will eventually affect the services available locally.
In Australia, there are nearly two dozen video-on-demand subscription platforms. The high number of services has created frustrations among consumers who are asked to shell out more and more money to access fractured programming.
The growth in the number of streaming services is approaching unsustainable levels, especially as customers began to assess household budgets during a difficult global economic environment.
The number of streaming services has been steadily increasing, ranging from niche platforms like the horror-focused Shudder to broad appeal brands like Disney+.
A consolidation of services within the industry has long been mooted, and the merger of Discovery+ and HBO Max could be the first of a coming wave as the industry evolves.
HBO programming included Succession and the next game of thrones prequel House of the Dragonand Discovery shows such as The deadliest catch are distributed in Australia via Foxtel and Binge*, while some original HBO Max titles go to Stan.
Warner Bros Discovery’s announcement was tight-lipped about what the combined streaming platform might look like, only that it would launch in the U.S. in mid-2023. The current schedule for global plans is Latin America in late 2023, Europe in 2024, and Asia-Pacific by mid-2024.
There is no confirmation as to whether Australia would be one of those Asia-Pacific markets. Warner Bros currently has a multi-year content deal with Foxtel, which it signed in 2020 with no publicly disclosed end date.
Warner Bros Discovery CEO David Zaslav said of the combined streaming service: “We think this product is going to be great.”
According to The Verge, Zaslav hinted that the new streaming platform would be built on Discovery’s technology platform, referencing the technical glitches that have plagued HBO Max.
Changes to Warner Bros Discovery’s current multiple streaming platforms were anticipated earlier this week with the revelation that the studio was to shelve several projects that had either finished filming or delivered finished work.
The most notable of the canceled titles was the DC movie Batgirlwhich reportedly had a production budget of US$70 million ($100 million).
Early media reports suggested as much Batgirl it had performed poorly with early test audiences and the studio was unwilling to spend the money for reshoots or the added cost of marketing.
Other media reports hinted at it Batgirl and canceled projects such as Scoob: Holiday Haunt they were sacrificed in the name of tax breaks.
The Batgirl The right-wing fueled speculation of a significant announcement about the future of HBO Max, given that the DC film had been ordered specifically for streaming and not theatrical release.
HBO is an American pay television network that has been responsible for some of the most acclaimed series over the past three decades, including The Sopranos, Succession, the wire, game of thrones, Sex and the city i Veep.
Although HBO has never sold directly to Australian viewers, the strength of its brand and its association with quality programming has made it an international phenomenon.
HBO Max also hosts the Warner Bros. movie archives.