HBO Max and Paramount+ Are Bundling Up Next Year

Paramount+ and HBO Max are going to try out their compatibility as a bundle before they take any steps further toward combining officially. In a letter to shareholders released today, Skydance (the, not-so-new name of David Ellison’s combined megacompany) announced that it would offer a bundle of its two streamers starting in “early 2027.” The company noted this was the first step in unifying the two services but did not list further details, saying it will have more information on the bundle, surely regarding pricing and ad tiers, “in the coming months.”

Even before the Paramount-Warner deal was officially closed, Ellison floated the idea that Paramount+ and HBO Max would become a single app. But does that truly mean either streaming service is going away for good? Former Disney CEO Bob Iger made similar comments in the past about Disney+ and Hulu becoming one app before settling on the network of bundles Disney now offers. It’s quite a complex venture to combine the services, so we can expect Skydance to take its time before committing to axing either of its big apps outright. HBO Max has gone through name changes, color changes, and leadership changes. At this point, we’re expecting it to outlive us all.