What You Need to Know About HBO Max and Discovery Plus Merger: Key Insights and Content Analysis

The HBO Max and Discovery Plus merger has been a hot topic since March 2022. At first, there was a lot of concern that HBO Max would cease to exist and would instead be absorbed into Discovery Plus as an HBO tab. But that turned out not to be the case. Nonetheless, the merger is still to result in significant changes for HBO Max. What are those, and will you be able to enjoy your favorite HBO Max titles? Where is this new service going to be available? Read along to find out.

VeePN Research Lab

Jul 14, 2023

6 min read

What You Need to Know About HBO Max and Discovery Plus Merger: Key Insights and Content Analysis

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When will HBO Max and Discovery Plus combine?

HBO Max and Discovery Plus merged on May 23rd, 2023, creating a new streaming service called Max. Its website is up at max.com and allows you to sign up for updates on the new service.

Why is HBO Max merging with Discovery Plus?

From what we know, the aim of the HBO Max and Discovery Plus merger is to create a streaming service that offers enough diverse content to surpass competitors like Netflix and Disney Plus.

Back in 2021, a CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery David Zaslav explained in the CNBC interview that the new streaming service (now “Max”) is to succeed because the merged company will have the complete content ecosystem. So, a single streaming service is viewed as the way forward.

Now, as the plans of Warner Bros. Discovery executives are becoming a reality, let’s see what this “reality” will cost its users.

How much will Max cost?

Max, the service created out of the HBO Max and Discovery Plus merger, costs up to $19.99 per month, with two cheaper tiers at $15.99 and $9.99.

This is how Max subscription plans differ.

Max plan	Monthly cost	Yearly cost	Video quality	Simultaneous streams	Downloads
Max Ad-Lite	$9.99	$99.99	HD	2	0
Max Ad Free	$15.99	$149.99	HD	2	3
Max Ultimate Ad Free	$19.99	$199.99	4K HDR with Dolby Atmos	4	100

How will the HBO Max and Discovery Plus merger affect HBO Max subscribers?

If you are already an HBO Max subscriber, you will be able to access Max at the same subscription price. Besides, your current plan features will still be available for at least 6 months. Your profiles, settings, watch history, and features like “Continue Watching” and “My List” will also transfer over to Max, letting you resume streaming from where you left off.

How will the HBO Max and Discovery Plus merger affect Discovery Plus subscribers?

Despite HBO Max merging with Discovery Plus, Discovery Plus will continue to be a standalone service with separate plans. Its ad-free plan costs $6.99 per month, while the ad-lite plan is $4.99.

A major change is that its content will also be available on Max. Besides, if you’re a Discovery Plus subscriber, you might get offers to try Max for free or at a discount.

Where will HBO Max be available?

Max will launch in the US first and is then expected to expand to other markets by 2024. The Max availability timeline may change, so we’ll be keeping tabs on more info.

There is no concrete info on whether HBO Max will cease to exist in Latin America and Europe once Max launches in the US. HBO Max website states that you can stream HBO Max both in Latam and Europe, with no time frame indicated. So it’ll likely remain a regular HBO Max app in these regions up until the official Max launch.

HBO Max and Discovery Plus geo availability: How to get access

One thing that’ll remain after the merge is complete is limited geo-availability — Max won’t be available in every single country, same as HBO Max and Discovery Plus aren’t now. This means you’ll get the “Sorry, our service isn’t available in your region yet” when traveling outside select countries.

The good news is that you can get access to HBO Max with a VPN, like VeePN, by changing your virtual location to a country where the service is available. VeePN runs on all major platforms and operating systems and offers servers in 89 locations globally. Get our VPN for Smart TV or any other needed platform to get a lag-free and limitless streaming experience.

What will the Discovery Plus and HBO Max merger look like?

HBO Max combining with Discovery Plus doesn’t mean we’ll get a service with brand new unfamiliar content. The new streaming service will be an expansion of HBO Max that also includes the Discovery Plus library, with Discovery Plus remaining a standalone service.

Max’s new interface will address important shortcomings, including a new content navigation system, personalized recommendations, and a shortcut to save content to “Watch Later” lists.

What content will Max offer after Discovery Plus and HBO Max merge?

JB Perrette, the President & CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery’s Global Streaming & Gaming said that the new Max service will have something for everyone:

From the biggest superheroes to real life champions; from culture-shaping dramas to taste-shaping entertainment; from fantastical realms to the realest of worlds, Max will offer an unrivaled range of choice.

Max will have a lot more options for people to choose, compared to the two separate HBO Max and Discovery Plus services. It’ll combine both originals and licensed content from HBO Max and Discovery Plus. Some titles to expect are:

Most popular HBO titles: Friends, Game of Thrones, Succession, The Last of Us, Harry Potter, The Lord of the Rings films, The Big Bang Theory, The Sopranos, Sex and the City, the DC superheroes Batman and Superman
Upcoming Max originals: Game of Thrones spinoff — A Knight of The Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight, Harry Potter series, True Detective: Night Country, IT prequel series Welcome to Derry, DC’s The Penguin, The Conjuring series The Devil Made Me Do It, a Big Bang Theory spinoff, the docuseries Shaun White: The Last Run, the auto makeover show Downey’s Dream Cars
Kids-oriented content, including Warner Bros.’ Looney Tunes and Sesame Street
Renowned Discovery Plus titles: Fixer Upper, Deadliest Catch, Chopped, Sister Wives, 90 Day Fiance, and Mythbusters

Conclusion

HBO Max merge with Discovery Plus marks a milestone in the history of Warner Bros. Discovery as the conglomerate aims for more subscribers. While this merge does look promising (at least from what WBD executives are telling us), time will tell whether Max will reign in streaming services.

In the meantime, it’s always a good idea to get a reliable VPN with plenty of global server locations. This way, you can access all your favorite streaming libraries when traveling and not worry about how to bypass Internet restrictions. Get our top-rated VPN for streaming media and try it out risk-free to boost your streaming.

Disclaimer: VeePN does not promote, condone, or encourage using a VPN in ways that would potentially violate Terms of Service of streaming service providers. For more details, please read the VeePN Terms of Service.

FAQ: HBO Max and Discovery Plus

Yes. In 2022, Warner Bros. Discovery announced that it’s merging its two major brands, HBO Max and Discovery Plus, to create a combined platform called Max, which is to launch on May 23, 2023.

You can still use HBO Max in the US until May 22, 2023. On May 23, a new streaming service Max will be launched as a result of the HBO Max and Discovery Plus merger. For most users, HBO Max will become Max automatically, with their passwords, billing information and watch history remaining the same.

As for Discovery+ subscribers who want to watch HBO’s scripted series such as Succession and The Last of Us, they will need to upgrade their subscriptions.

No — both Discovery Plus and HBO Max are brands of an American entertaiment conglomerate Warner Bros. Discovery.

The new streaming service to come out of the HBO Max Discovery Plus merger will be called Max. It’ll launch on May 23 in the US and is expected to roll out in new international markets by 2024.

No, despite HBO Max merging with Discovery Plus, Discovery Plus will still be its own streaming service with separate plans. Its content will also be available on Max. The ad-free plan costs $6.99 per month, while the ad-lite plan is $4.99 per month.

If you’re a Discovery Plus subscriber, you might get offers to try Max for free or at a discount.

Yes, HBO Max and Discovery Plus are merging into the new streaming service Max on May 23. The new streaming service will be an expansion of HBO Max that also includes the Discovery Plus library. The HBO Max app will either automatically be replaced by the Max app or users will be prompted to replace it.

For HBO Max users, their profiles, watch histories, and billing information will automatically be migrated over to the new service with their subscriptions intact.

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