These 2 Popular Streaming Apps Are Going To Combine, But Not Right Away

Many consider HBO Max and Paramount+ to be among the top streaming services globally, and a recent major studio merger is set to change how you'll be using these apps. Paramount+ owner Skydance (formerly the Paramount Skydance Corporation) recently bought and finalized a merger with Warner Bros. Discovery, the company behind HBO Max, with plans to either bundle the services together or to combine them into a singular streaming service.

Bids for Warner Bros. Discovery and HBO Max began late last year, and Netflix almost came out on top. The deal wasn't finalized, however, and an aggressive proposal by Paramount won out in the end. The final buyout was an $81 billion deal that combined the two studios under the Skydance umbrella. 

Following the merger, which finalized on October 6, 2026, Skydance adds HBO Max and Discovery+ to its arsenal of streaming services, which already included Paramount+ and Pluto TV. Warner Bros. Pictures, DC Studios, and New Line Cinema also join Paramount Pictures as studios under the Skydance umbrella, and you'll now find Warner Bros.-owned channels like HBO, Discovery Channel, CNN, Adult Swim, Food Network, HGTV, TLC, TBS, TNT, and Cartoon Network alongside Paramount-owned networks like CBS, MTV, Comedy Central, BET, Showtime, Paramount Network, and Nickelodeon.

The question of whether HBO Max is going to merge with Paramount's streaming service doesn't have a concrete answer as of now. Skydance CEO David Ellison stated to the press that there are plans to combine the two streaming services eventually, but this is a long-term process and not something users have to worry about just yet. The immediate plan seems to be that both services will continue to operate independently of one another, though Ellison states that the company is working to bundle the services together, as well as on other things he refused to delve into the specifics of.

Skydance faces several challenges if it plans on merging the two streaming services together. Warner Bros. Discovery previously experienced backlash when it tried to merge HBO Max with Discovery+ and drop the "HBO" from its name — a decision it reversed after two years following user dissatisfaction. Paramount+ and HBO Max might see a similar future, integrating into a singular platform but still featuring dedicated apps, much like HBO Max and Discovery+ do today.