Toni Dimaano Tech 11.04.2022 09:Nov AM EDT

Warner Bros. Discover Moves HBO Max And Discovery Plus Merger Date Up

The merging of HBO Max and Discovery will now happen in spring instead of summer 2023, as Warner Bros. Discovery bumps up the target launch date of its new service.

CEO David Zaslav has recently announced that Warner Bros. Discovery might unveil its new service earlier than expected in 2023, Phone World writes.

The Merge Aims To Target Different Markets

HBO Max and Discovery Plus are on different ends when it comes to content, which is why Zaslav thought it is a good idea for the two to come together.

The merger will amass a total of roughly 95 million subscribers between HBO Max and Disney Plus, reaching a broader market in the process.

While critics find this idea absurd, Zaslav remains particularly unconcerned about those who dislike the idea.

According to The Verge, the Warner Bros. Discovery CEO hopes that this merger increases subscriptions and advertising revenue.

As for the content coming into the service after the merger, Zaslav plans to spend more on new content, and lean in with quality over quantity.

The merger between HBO Max and Discovery Plus aims to cut subscriber losses amid the rise of competition like Netflix, by offering a broader range of content for everyone in the household.

Warner Bros. Discovery plans to launch this project in the United States come spring 2023, in Latin America later that year, and in Europe, Asia, and the Pacific in 2024, The Washington Post writes.

By 2025, the company targets to acquire 130 million paying subscribers through the merger, which is almost doubled its assumed initial subscriber count at the start of the merger.

Zaslav Calls The Merger A Strategic Shift

In an earnings call meeting in August, Zaslav said that the company is making strategic changes in the way they distribute content.

Veering away from only releasing films, the CEO has a vision for Warner Bros. Discovery to become a streaming platform.

While discovery seems to be deprioritizing film, Zaslav assures that theatrical films will still be the focus of HBO Max as they have substantial value.

TV Insider reports that 36 titles were removed from HBO Max' catalog, including the 200-episode kids show "Sesame Street."

As for Discovery Plus, it removed 19 of its originals from the platform to make room for new content come the merger.

A spokesperson for Discover Plus even says that while the removal of several content from the platform was necessary, it is ready to bring a curated catalog of what is left to HBO Max.

In next year's spring, the merger will bring TV fans "The Last Of Us" and a new season of "Succession" from HBO Max, and reality shows like "90 Day Fiance" and its spinoffs from Discovery Plus.

Currently, HBO Max is available for a $14.99 monthly subscription without ads and $9.99 with ads, while Discovery Plus is worth $6.99 per month with ads and $4.99 with ads in the US, Variety says.