Streaming platform Discovery+ will remain available in the United States.
According to an anonymous source familiar with the company’s plans, this comes as unexpected news following Warner Bros. Discovery’s initial plan to combine Discovery+ and HBO Max to create an enhanced streaming service.
This plan was announced following the merger between Warner Bros. Discovery and HBO in April 2022 explaining that audiences want fewer, not more, streaming platforms to choose from.
Despite the two streaming platforms having little overlap in target groups and genres, the combined platform would yield an expansive range of content and video productions, from documentaries and comedies to reality television, such as the Food Network and TLC.
Although Discovery+ will currently remain a separate streaming platform from HBO Max, Warner Bros. Discovery has not changed its mind about combining the two later this year.
The source confirmed that one of the reasons for postponing the synergy is that the company risks losing existing Discovery+ subscribers if it forces them to pay a higher price for the combined streaming service platform.
While the price of the combined service is still unknown, the differing price points between the two streaming services are high. Discovery+ costs $4.99 per month with ads and $6.99 per month without them, while HBO Max charges $9.99 with ads and $15.99 without.
Discovery+ subscribers may currently breathe a sigh of relief as users of both platforms await further information.
