Walt Disney and Warner Bros Discovery are joining forces to offer a bundle of Disney+, Hulu, and Max streaming services to customers in the United States.
Customers can sign up for the combined programming on all three individual platforms, with an ad-free or ad-supported format to choose from, but no information on the cost of the service has been revealed.
A press release gave further information on the venture, which will get underway this summer, with further official details to follow in the coming weeks.
Disney+ is the home of renowned films and shows from studios such as Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, and National Geographic. It also has The Simpsons. Hulu provides a comprehensive streaming service for live and on-demand programming, with access to content from across the spectrum of US broadcasting networks.
Max is an enhanced streaming option from Warner Discovery providing content for all the family, from HBO Originals and Harry Potter to Cartoon Network and the Discovery Channel.
Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery announced that they would start offering a bundle of their Disney+, Hulu and Max streaming services, a sign of how rivals have become more willing to join forces in order to confront an ever-changing media landscape. https://t.co/fRMpI8k0yZ
— The New York Times (@nytimes) May 9, 2024
Disney and Warner drive to attract more subscribers
This bundle option comes as audiences are moving away from linear TV with the proliferation of various streaming packages and platforms now on the market. Companies like Disney and Warner Discovery are cognisant of this and want to attract more subscribers to their offerings, while wary of cost demands on the consumer in a crowded market.
JB Perrette, Warner Bros. Discovery CEO and President of Global Streaming and Games stated, “This new offering delivers for consumers the greatest collection of entertainment for the best value in streaming, and will help drive incremental subscribers and much stronger retention.”
This week, Disney also announced it would be adding an ESPN tile to Disney+ ahead of the full launch of a standalone streaming service for the sports broadcast giant. Disney CEO Bob Iger was speaking on the new addition at the company’s Q2 earnings call, revealing the tile will bring access to “select live games” and further programs on Disney+.
It will be rolled out by the end of the year to all subscribers in the US, with the brand-new ESPN streaming offering to launch late in 2025.
Image credit: Ideogram
