Disney, Warner Bros Discovery launch US streaming bundle

Disney and Warner Bros Discovery announced a joint streaming offering on Wednesday that will bring together the Disney+, Hulu and Max platforms, in a further sign of consolidation in the competitive video-on-demand sector. 

The bundle will be available only in the United States starting this summer, the two entertainment giants said in a joint press release, without specifying the exact date of the launch.

Both are separately trailing Netflix, which achieved critical mass and profitability before its streaming rivals.

The Max platform was launched last year to combine content from across Warner Bros' and Discovery's brands following their 2022 merger, including HBO, DC comics films and various reality series.

At the end of 2023, Disney took full control of Hulu, initially a joint venture with 21st Century Fox, Time Warner (now controlled by AT&T) and NBCUniversal (owned by Comcast).

The joint statement on Wednesday gave no price for the new bundled offering and Disney declined all comment when asked for details of the plan by AFP.

Disney CEO Bob Iger has made no secret of his desire to find synergies in streaming in order to increase audiences and cut costs.

In early February, Disney, Warner Bros Discovery and Fox announced the launch this autumn of a streaming offer that will group the bulk of their respective sports content to US users.

Disney announced on Tuesday that its streaming business had reached profitability for the first time after years of losses.