Entertainment giants Warner Bros Discovery and Paramount Global are rumoured to be discussing a merger, which could create yet another streaming giant.
Axios is reporting that Warner Bros Discovery CEO David Zaslav and Paramount Global CEO Bob Bakish met in New York earlier this week to discuss the possibility of a merger.
If it went ahead, it would represent a huge consolidation that would have major repercussions for the rest of the entertainment industry – not least the streaming market.
Part of the conversation, according to the report, centred on how a combination of their respective streaming platforms – Paramount+ and Max – would be able to take on market leaders Netflix and Disney+.
It’s thought that Warner Bros Discovery’s international distribution capabilities and Discovery’s formidable roster of children’s programming would greatly bolster any resulting combined streaming service.
With Warner Bros valued at around $29 billion and Paramount at around $10 billion, this would not be considered a meeting of equals. Paramount is said to be struggling with a mountain of debt, which could further force its hand.
Regulatory approval isn’t predicted to be an issue, given that Warner Bros Discovery doesn’t own a broadcast network.
We awarded the Paramount Plus streaming service a decent 3.5-star review last year, concluding that it “delivers great content, but it isn’t as well rounded as its rivals”. The fact that it’s free with Sky here in the UK makes it a much more appealing prospect, however.
As for Warner Bros. Max, we scored it 4 out of 5, concluding that it “houses some of the very best movies and TV shows around, both new and existing, inside an excellent streaming app”.
Combining the two would make for a formidable player on the streaming scene.
