HBO Max and Paramount Plus could become one streaming device

During a call with investors Monday, Paramount Skydance Chairman David Ellison insistedif his deal is for acquisition The entirety of Warner Bros. Discovery For about $110 billion, it obtains the necessary regulatory approvals and plans to merge Paramount Plus and HBO Max. Ellison noted that combining the services together would give Paramount Skydance “just over 200 million direct-to-consumer subscribers,” but insisted the company wants HBO brand “To work independently.”

“Our view is that HBO should remain HBO,” Ellison said. “They’ve built an exceptional brand. They’re leaders in this space, and we just want them to keep doing more of it. But by bringing the platforms together, our content will be able to reach an even wider audience than we could achieve independently.”

Ellison did not comment on any potential leadership changes at WBD, but he praised HBO programming chief Casey Bloys for doing an “absolutely fantastic job” currently running the network.

On the same call today Ellison stated The newly combined Paramount Skydance/WBD company will commit to the theatrical release of at least 30 films per year, and cited Paramount’s current plan to release 15 films in 2026 as evidence that the company can achieve this new goal.