Disney Entertainment and Warner Brothers Discovery announced Wednesday that customers will be able to purchase a new streaming bundle that includes Disney+, Hulu, and Max starting this summer.
No pricing was given for the new bundle, which will be available in ad-supported and ad-free versions.
Content from ABC, CNN, DC, Discovery, Disney, Food Network, FX, HBO, HGTV, Hulu, Marvel, Pixar, Searchlight, Warner Bros., and more will be available through the bundle, which will be available to purchase on any of the three streaming platforms’ websites.
“On the heels of the very successful launch of Hulu on Disney+, this new bundle with Max will offer subscribers even more choice and value,” Disney President of Direct to Consumer Entertainment Joe Earley said. “This incredible new partnership puts subscribers first, giving them access to blockbuster films, originals, and three massive libraries featuring the very best brands and entertainment in streaming today.”
“This new offering delivers for consumers the greatest collection of entertainment for the best value in streaming, and will help drive incremental subscribers and much stronger retention,” CEO and President of Global Streaming and Games for Warner Bros. Discovery JB Perrette said. “Offering this unprecedented entertainment value for fans across all the complimentary genres these three services offer, presents a powerful new roadmap for the future of the industry.”
The offerings may be an attempt to mimic cable TV packages, except in streaming form rather than live TV programming.
It goes against the idea of streaming services, which were intended to offer on-demand programming in an a la carte fashion rather than an all-inclusive package.
Consumers flocked to streaming services initially, but many have since discovered that they want a bit of content from each site. Subscribing to each streaming platform separately can now rival the cost of basic cable, which cable companies often bundle with internet and sometimes phone service to keep costs down.
Costs for many streaming services have increased over the last year, and bundling is usually more economical than getting separate streaming services as a standalone.
The current bundle offered includes Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+, which costs $14.99 a month with ads and $24.99 without ads on Disney+ and Hulu (ESPN+ still has ads).
It was not clear whether the bundle would also include ESPN+ or whether the existing bundle that includes the sports content would still be available. ESPN+ was not mentioned in the press release from Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery except to reference the current bundle option.
Disney+ and Hulu are already offering some of the same content on both sites, and Disney has had some Discovery series on its platform almost since the beginning of its existence, but the bundle will give subscribers access to all content offered by the platforms.
Other major streaming platforms are also considering bundling their offerings, particularly AppleTV+ and Paramount+.
Apple is already bundling AppleTV+ with other offerings, like Apple Music and iCloud storage.
Paramount+ already offers a bundle that includes Showtime for an additional cost.
Subscribers to Amazon Prime can also add various streaming content to their subscription for an additional cost, which is generally lower than subscribing to those platforms separately.
Platforms are finding it expensive to produce original content, and subscribers will often switch between platforms to watch new content for a limited time rather than subscribe every month.
Bundling offers more content for the cost and encourages customers to subscribe more consistently. Savings can also be had with most streaming services by paying annually rather than monthly.
Live streaming options like SlingTV, Fubo TV, and YouTubeTV are also seen as a saving compared to cable, but the price of these services has risen to between $70 and 90 a month in the last year.
