Streaming platforms HBO Max and Paramount+ will be unified into a single service as part of a major corporate reorganization following Paramount's completed acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, led by Skydance chairman and chief executive officer David Ellison.
Ellison explained that HBO Max and Paramount+ will initially continue operating as independent subscription services, though the combined company plans to introduce joint content bundles and integration measures in the short term before ultimately merging them into one platform.
The long term goal is to create a unified streaming service, although Ellison acknowledged that the transition will take time and declined to specify how the merger will be executed. Key details regarding subscription pricing, membership tiers, and user retention strategies remain undefined as executives evaluate potential multi tier branding options.
The company has already completed a behind the scenes technical integration of Paramount+, BET+, and Pluto TV. Ellison noted that users barely noticed the technical transition, which was aided in part by artificial intelligence and automated systems. However, he cautioned that these tools may not streamline the upcoming integration of HBO Max and Paramount+ in the same manner.
Paramount+ is an American subscription video platform featuring film and television titles from Paramount Pictures and CBS, while HBO Max serves as the primary streaming outlet for Warner Bros. and HBO programming. Pluto TV operates as a free ad supported streaming service, and BET+ offers content focused on Black culture.
Studio operations and real estate restructuring
Beyond digital streaming, the merged media giant plans to restructure its physical studio space while maintaining both the Paramount and Warner Bros. complexes for at least the next five years. Production operations will be divided between the two studio lots, with one location dedicated primarily to feature films and the other concentrating on television and streaming production.
While executives have not formally announced which activities will settle at each site, industry publication Deadline reported that Paramount is expected to retain core film production due to its historical studio identity. Warner Bros. is anticipated to absorb the bulk of television and streaming operations under the proposed layout.
Paramount Pictures, headquartered in Los Angeles, is one of the oldest film studios in Hollywood, dating back to the silent film era. Warner Bros. operates extensive production soundstages in Burbank, California, housing historical sets and studio infrastructure used for television and theatrical releases.
Centralising television and streaming divisions
The real estate reorganization aims to centralise currently fragmented divisions under single facilities. Television operations including CBS Entertainment, CBS Studios, and CBS Media Ventures, which currently operate across separate locations, will be brought together at a unified site.
A similar consolidation is planned for streaming teams currently spread across HBO offices in Culver City, Paramount, and Nickelodeon. Bringing these creative and administrative divisions together is expected to generate a substantial portion of the company's estimated 6 billion dollars in cost synergies, alongside real estate optimization, technology integration, and procurement savings.
Culver City, located in Los Angeles County, has long served as a major production hub for film and television companies, while Nickelodeon represents one of the leading children's entertainment networks in the United States. CBS is one of the major commercial broadcast networks in North America.
During the initial phase of the merger, Ellison and executive Ynon Kreiz plan to work across both studio facilities until the structural integration of the legacy entertainment giants is complete.
