It should come as no surprise that when Discovery and WarnerMedia unite, their streaming apps will join as well.
HBO was one of the first streaming services to combine live and on-demand content, and you’d think it’d have figured out how to handle the frenzied rush to see a season finale following many premieres and finales of Game of Thrones, Mare of Easttown, and others. However, HBO Max continues to crash in 2022 if more than 12 individuals tune in at the same time. To be sure, it takes many more than 12 people attempting to view a stream concurrently to disrupt it – but you get the picture. HBO should have corrected this technological gaffe years ago.
It is unknown which division of the new corporation will be responsible for developing this new unified content app. Additionally, the pricing of the new software is unknown. Both Discovery Plus and HBO Max now offer ad-supported and ad-free rates, with Discovery Plus charging $4.99 and $6.99 per month, respectively, and HBO Max charging $9.99 and $14.99 per month, respectively. If the new company chooses to combine prices in the same way it combines apps and content, this would result in a service costing between $14.99 and $21.99 per month. For reference, Netflix costs between $9.99 and $19.99 per month, depending on the number of screens and the quality of broadcasts.
Additionally, Netflix boasts the best-looking app in the streaming industry, with an algorithm that recommends content viewers will enjoy. If the DiscoHBO app is to charge more than $20, it will need more than the upcoming season of Euphoria.
