Streaming services HBO Max and Paramount+ will be combined once the merger between Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery is complete.
During an investor call with Paramount CEO David Ellison, he shared that while they do intend to merge the platforms, they still want HBO as a brand to “operate with independence.”
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Per Variety, Ellison said he believes this will position them “to compete with leaders in the space,” and they believe the merging of the three services will be finished by mid-2026.
However, the outlet claims “it was not immediately clear what the setup of the new combined streamer will be,” but Ellison wants to maintain HBO’s leadership under Casey Bloys “without heavy oversight from Paramount’s execs.”
“Casey and his team do absolutely a remarkable job at HBO,” he said, citing Game of Thrones as one of his favorite shows. “And as we said, we do plan for that to be able to operate with independence, so that HBO can, candidly, do what it does incredibly well. 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. But by bringing the platforms together, all of our content will be able to reach even a broader audience than we can do standalone.”
Last week, Netflix backed out of the bidding war, leaving Paramount free to make the deal with its “superior proposal.”
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