Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav had been planning on bringing the 2 companies collectively ever since WarnerMedia merged with Discovery final 12 months, and now that point is carefully approaching. The mixed service will dump Discovery Plus’ eclectic vary of content material, together with Deadliest Catch, Property Brothers, and (my private favourite) 90 Day Fiancé right into a single vat with HBO’s extra high-profile choices, like The Final of Us and The White Lotus.

Sources near the scenario inform the NYT that the brand new “Max” service will supply a number of subscription tiers at completely different value factors. That features the $16 per thirty days ad-free plan, which is identical value as the present ad-free HBO Max subscription, together with a less expensive ad-supported tier that I’m guessing may value $10 per thirty days if it follows HBO Max’s pricing.

It’s laborious for me to think about HBO Max and Discovery Plus meshing properly collectively. Positive, it’ll have an enormous vary of content material from a single hub, however seeing Recreation of Thrones beside Dr. Pimple Popper will simply be… bizarre. I’m simply hoping that Discovery Plus will stay as a standalone service, provided that it’s far cheaper at $4.99 per thirty days with adverts and likewise has plenty of the actually dumb and peculiar reveals that I, regretfully admit, get pleasure from watching.

Wednesday’s occasion isn’t anticipated to be as flashy as those we’ve seen prior to now (just like the star-studded presentation placed on by Apple in 2019). The corporate will reportedly lay out the service’s identify and technological upgrades, in addition to incorporate some film and TV present bulletins through the hour-long occasion.

Whereas Warner Bros. Discovery has hopes to succeed in 130 million subscribers throughout HBO, HBO Max, and Discovery Plus by 2025, it added simply 1.1 million subscribers within the fourth quarter of 2022, citing its whole to 96.1 million globally. The corporate’s clearly anticipating “Max” to drive up these charges, nevertheless it stays to be seen whether or not it’ll truly appeal to new subscribers that aren’t already with both service. Max should do one thing drastic — whether or not it’s including superb content material or extra aggressive pricing — if it needs to be identified for extra than simply its unimaginative identify.