iWorld
HBO Max and Discovery+ to merge into single streaming platform by 2023
Mumbai: On a second-quarter earnings call on Thursday, Warner Bros. Discovery announced the merger of HBO Max and Discovery+. The media conglomerate set a timeline for integrating the two services.
According to Warner Bros. Discovery CEO and president of global streaming and interactive JB Perrette, who spoke on the company’s Q2 earnings call, HBO Max and Discovery+ will launch in the United States as a single service in the summer of 2023. “At the end of the day, putting all the content together was the only way we saw to make this a viable business,” he said.
Bringing HBO Max and Discovery+ together is aimed at cutting churn, so “there’s something for everyone in the household,” he added. WBD did not reveal the new brand name for the combined service, nor did executives discuss pricing for the unified stream.
According to Perrette, Warner Bros. Discovery is initially focused on the ad-supported and ad-free versions of the combined HBO Max-Discovery+ but is also “exploring how to reach customers in the free, ad-supported space” with content that is distinct from what is available on premium VOD services.
He added that HBO may or may not be included in the name of the unified direct-to-consumer WBD platform; Perrette stated that the company is conducting consumer research on the HBO Max name. “HBO will always be the beacon and the ultimate brand that stands for television quality.”
The combined HBO Max-Discovery+ service, according to Perrette, will combine the best features of both services. According to him, HBO Max has performance and customer issues but offers a rich set of features, whereas Discovery+ has fewer features but a more robust underlying delivery capability.
Following the launch of the unified HBO Max-Discovery+ platform in the United States in summer 2023, WBD plans to bring the platform to Latin America in the fall of 2023, Europe in early 2024, Asia-Pacific in mid-2024, and other markets in the fall of 2024.
WBD’s HBO Max, HBO, and Discovery+ subscribers reached 92.1 million in the second quarter, up 1.7 million from the previous quarter’s 90.4 million. On a pro-forma basis, this is a 22 per cent increase of $75.8 million over the previous year.
WBD expects to have 130 million global streaming subscribers by 2025 and to generate one billion dollars in earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation from its direct-to-consumer businesses (Ebitda). He shared that the company’s Ebidta losses in the streaming division are expected to peak in 2022, with a long-term margin potential of 20 per cent or higher.
Currently, HBO Max costs $14.99 per month without ads and $9.99 per month with ads in the United States. Discovery+ costs $6.99 per month without ads and $4.99 per month with ads.
The company, on 17 May 2021, announced its plans to merge its two flagship streaming platforms, HBO Max from the legacy WarnerMedia (spun off from AT&T) and Discovery+. CFO Gunnar Wiedenfels broadly sketched out a strategy to combine the streamers in March 2022, ahead of the close of the deal forming Warner Bros. Discovery, saying that it would initially sell the pair as a bundle before fully integrating them.
The merged HBO Max-Discovery+ streaming platform will combine thousands of hours of programming spanning scripted, reality, and documentary content and will resemble a mini-cable TV bundle.
iWorld
JioStar revenue hits Rs 9,784 crore as cricket fuels 22 per cent growth
A surge in digital viewership and sports dominance fuels a blockbuster quarter for the media giant
MUMBAI: JioStar is batting on a flat pitch. The media titan’s fourth-quarter results for the financial year 2026 reveal a business scaling new heights, propelled by an unprecedented appetite for premium sports and digital-first storytelling.
Gross revenue for the quarter soared by 22.15 per cent to Rs 9,784 crore, up from Rs 8,010 crore in the third quarter. Operationally, the momentum was equally strong; revenue from operations climbed 21 per cent to Rs 8,372 crore. These figures underscore the firm’s successful integration following the Reliance and Disney merger, creating a dominant force in the Indian market.
The annual performance has been nothing short of a spectacle. Full-year gross revenue reached a massive Rs 36,248 crore, while annual profit after tax hit Rs 3,210 crore. This rapid expansion reflects JioStar’s ability to capture and monetise the massive growth in India’s media consumption.
Cricket proved to be the ultimate growth engine. The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 and TATA IPL 2026 delivered “record-breaking viewership” across both television and digital screens. The World Cup final alone drew a global peak concurrency of 72.5 million on JioHotstar, cementing its status as the nation’s premier streaming destination. On television, JioStar maintained a commanding 34.2 per cent viewership share, reaching a staggering 810 million viewers nationwide.
The digital numbers were just as impressive. JioHotstar averaged 500 million monthly active users, driven by consistent subscriber growth and innovative AI-led content discovery tools. These advancements are ensuring that JioStar remains at the cutting edge of the global “Race for Attention.”
With a firm grip on the country’s most valuable sporting rights and a rapidly growing digital footprint, JioStar is perfectly positioned for the future. It has built the ultimate content powerhouse—one that is ready to dominate the Indian living room for years to come.
