Disney and Warner Bros. to Launch Hulu, Max Bundle Service

Facts

• Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery announced the upcoming launch of a new streaming package that bundles Disney+, Hulu, and Max. Starting this summer, customers can purchase the bundle through any three of the platforms.¹
• The bundle, which will be one price, will include Disney-owned content such as Marvel, Star Wars, Pixar, FX, and ABC with Warner Bros.-owned HBO, HGTV, the Food Network, and the Discovery channel, among other content.²
• With ad-free and ad-supported options, the bundle comes as Disney subsidiary ESPN is set to offer a live sports streaming service with Warner Bros. and Fox in the fall.³
• While pricing details have not been officially revealed yet, sources close to the matter say it will likely come at a discount. Disney+ and Hulu can be bundled for $9.99 per month, and a monthly Max subscription starts at $9.99; ad-free services are more expensive.⁴
• This also comes as Disney reported its first quarterly profit — for the first three months of 2024 — in years, having lost $11B since launching its streaming platform in 2019. This led to cost-cutting and price hikes for customers.⁵
• Both companies have previously lauded bundles as a way to lower cancelation rates. Bundles are reportedly also believed to lower subscription rates.⁶

Sources: ¹BBC News, ²New York Post, ³Verge, ⁴wsj.com, ⁵Guardian and ⁶Variety.

Narratives

• Narrative A, as provided by Yahoo Finance. Companies like Disney and Warner Bros. need to enter the bundling game not only to compete with Netflix and boost profits for shareholders, but also to appeal to customers. People are becoming very picky when deciding what to watch, which is why this move will give them access to various popular content all for one price.
• Narrative B, as provided by Gizmodo. While it may seem like Disney is lagging behind Amazon Prime Video and Netflix, it is still one of the Big Three streaming monopolies with a stranglehold on production. With Amazon's monopoly on distribution and Netflix's power over employment, these corporations are together preventing any smaller content company from ever competing in the market.