- author, Joao da Silva
- Role, Business reporter
-
Walt Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery said they will begin offering a combination of their Disney+, Hulu and Max streaming services to customers in the United States this summer.
The new package will be available to customers on all three streaming platforms.
The media giants said they would offer plans with and without ads, but did not reveal how much they would charge customers.
The move comes as Disney and Warner Bros. face competition from rivals, including Netflix and Amazon Prime Video.
“This new offering… will help drive stronger subscriber growth and retention,” J.B. Perrett, CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery, said in a statement.
The two media companies said they would reveal more details about the plans in the coming weeks.
As viewers turn away from traditional television, companies like Disney and Warner Bros. are under pressure to attract more subscribers to their streaming services.
The companies hope that their combined offerings will complement each other.
Disney+ is known for its family-friendly shows and movies, while Warner’s Max is home to HBO and its more adult-focused content.
In recent years, streaming companies have joined forces and offer combinations of their services.
In February, Walt Disney Co. ESPN, Fox Corp. and Warner Bros. Discovery announced a new sports platform that will launch in the fall.
Between them they own a wide range of sports rights including the rights to the FIFA World Cup, Formula 1, the NFL, the NBA, and Major League Baseball.
In its quarterly financial results released on Tuesday, Disney said Disney+ gained more than six million subscribers globally between January and March, excluding India. The streaming service now has more than 117 million subscribers.
The increase is significant for a service that has seen growth in recent months but is seen as important to Disney’s future.
Disney also told investors that a planned password campaign, which will begin in the summer, would help boost subscriber numbers.
The increasingly crowded streaming market has turned away some customers who complained about having to subscribe to multiple services.
Bundles can address this issue by simplifying the payment process and potentially reducing the cost to users.
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