If you pay for HBO Max, Paramount+ or both, the two apps get the same owner tomorrow. Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery said on September 30 that their merger is expected to close on Tuesday, October 6, with WBD shareholders paid about $31.02 in cash per share. The combined company will be called Skydance, a name David Ellison revealed in a video on October 2, and today's leadership announcement tells you who will be making the streaming calls.
According to Paramount's October 5 release, Casey Bloys, who currently runs HBO and HBO Max content, becomes co-chair and chief content officer of Skydance's direct-to-consumer business. That role covers original programming for both HBO Max and Paramount+, plus strategy and performance across the company's streaming platforms. JB Perrette, who led HBO Max's rollout to more than 130 markets at WBD, becomes co-chair and chief business officer for the same unit, handling distribution, ad sales and marketing.
Two apps, probably one bundle
Nobody has announced a merged app, and the signals so far point the other way. Deadline noticed that the closing slide of Ellison's naming video put both the HBO Max and Paramount+ logos among the company's key brands, even though Paramount was already on the list. When Bloys was asked whether the services would be bundled or fully combined, he declined to say what will happen but pointed to HBO Max's bundle with Disney, which he said "has been very successful," and added that something like it "would make a lot of sense."
That fits how both services are doing on their own. Paramount's Q2 shareholder letter put Paramount+ at 81.6 million subscribers after adding about 2 million in the quarter, and the company expects that number to be roughly flat in Q3. WBD's own Q2 release talked about streaming revenue growing 10% but didn't give a global HBO Max subscriber total, which Cord Cutters News also pointed out. Two healthy brands with different audiences are easier to sell side by side than to fold into one app.
What the two services cost today
Here are the current US monthly prices, from HBO Max's help center and Paramount+'s published plans (as listed by IGN and TechRadar).
| Tier | HBO Max | Paramount+ | Both, paid separately |
|---|---|---|---|
| With ads | $10.99 (Basic with Ads) | $8.99 (Essential) | $19.98 |
| Ad-free | $18.49 (Standard) | $13.99 (Premium) | $32.48 |
| Top tier | $22.99 (Premium, 4K) | $13.99 (Premium) | $36.98 |
So the useful question is how much of a discount a bundle might bring. Disney's current bundles give a rough guide. The Disney+, Hulu and HBO Max bundle with ads costs $21.99, against $35.97 for the three ad-supported plans bought separately ($12.49 + $12.49 + $10.99), which is about 39% off. The ad-free version is $34.99 against $61.47 for Disney+ Premium, Hulu Premium and HBO Max Standard ($21.49 + $21.49 + $18.49), about 43% off. The two-app Disney+ and Hulu ad-free bundle is $21.99 against $42.98, close to 49% off.
If Skydance priced an HBO Max and Paramount+ bundle at a similar 40% discount, the ad-supported pair would land around $12 a month (19.98 × 0.6 = $11.99) and the ad-free pair around $19.50 (32.48 × 0.6 = $19.49). That is our own illustration based on Disney's pricing, not a leak or a forecast. No bundle price, launch date or plan lineup has been announced.
How we got here
Skydance closed its purchase of Paramount in August 2025, and Paramount signed the deal to buy WBD on February 27, 2026. The closing date came on September 30, the Skydance name on October 2 and the leadership team today, with the close itself set for tomorrow. Bloys's new remit also includes HBO Max's biggest upcoming swing, the Harry Potter series, which the release says debuts on Christmas.
Geeknewz verdict
Geeknewz's view: you don't need to do anything on October 6. Nothing announced so far changes your apps, logins or prices on closing day. If you pay for both services month to month, keep doing that for now, since a bundle would most likely reward people who can switch easily. If you were about to lock in an annual Paramount+ or HBO Max plan, it may be worth waiting a few weeks to see what Skydance offers. And if you're on Disney's three-way bundle with HBO Max, nothing has been said about it changing, so there is no reason to cancel early.
Source: Paramount leadership release (Oct 5); WBD and Paramount closing-date notice; Deadline; Paramount Q2 2026 letter; WBD Q2 2026 release; HBO Max plans; IGN on Paramount+ pricing; Gadget Hacks on Disney bundle prices.