Warner Bros Discovery’s new combined streaming service would replace its current assortment of streaming services, including Discovery+ and HBO Max.
Bosses at the company confirmed on Thursday that they were planning to bring forward the launch of the global combined streamer. Subscribers in the USA could look forward to the service starting next spring (2023). Latin America, Europe and Asia will follow, but no further timescales were confirmed. But bosses were not able to provide any clues as to what the name of the new streaming service would be.
Discovery+ only launched in the UK in 2020, where it replaced dplay. Since then, its merger with Warner Bros has left the company with a two major streaming services. It nearly added a third earlier this year. But Warner Bros Discovery (WBD) moved quickly to cancel standalone streaming service CNN+ within weeks of its launch in a rapid change of strategy, favouring the development of just one streamer.
Meanwhile, WBD also confirmed it wanted to launch its own FAST channel portfolio, joining rival broadcasters in developing curated streaming only live channels to complement its existing linear channels and on-demand services.
At the end of September 2022, WBD had 94.9 million streaming subscribers globally. That’s an increase of 2.8 million from three months earlier.
Analysis / The situation in the UK and Ireland
In the UK and Ireland, Warner Bros Discovery (WBD) is limited as to how much it can offer via streaming as it still has an ongoing agreement with Sky. However, this wouldn’t necessarily stop the planned streaming service launching with a smaller range of content until the deal with Sky had expired. Additionally, WBD is also working toward combining the current Eurosport and BT Sport-branded channels within its streaming offer in the UK and Ireland.
As a result, WBD could either (1) Add the combined BT/Eurosport offer to discovery+ or other platform and then merge the service into the new replacement streaming service, or (2) do all at the same time. Option 2 avoids having to promote the new sports service only for it to be replaced within months.
Iain Hatton
Updated: 15:16