Discovery Plus will continue to be available as a standalone app and service after the launch of a combined HBO Max streaming service, according to a new report. A decision that appears to have been made to avoid running the risk of losing the existing Discovery Plus subscribers base.
For some time now, it had been clear that Discovery Plus and HBO Max were on a collision course. The parent companies had already merged and a new unified streaming service was already confirmed to be on the way. The suggestion being that it would offer better value than subscribing to both subscriptions separately.
For those homes that are only subscribed to Discovery Plus, and hoping to keep things that way, it looks as though they may not have to worry about any major changes. According to The Wall Street Journal, Warner Bros. Discovery plans to continue operating Discovery Plus as a standalone subscription service following the launch of the combined streaming service.
According to “people familiar with the matter“, the decision had been made to avoid losing subscribers that are primarily only interested in Discovery Plus content. The new combined service is expected to be more expensive and the higher price could prove too high in comparison.
Discovery Plus plans currently cost $4.99 per month for the standard, ad-supported plan and $6.99 per month for the ad-free viewing experience. In contrast, the cheapest HBO Max plan costs $9.99 per month and ad-free costs $15.99 per month.
The new combined streaming service is expected to be more expensive than HBO Max making it significantly more expensive than Discovery Plus. By continuing to offer Discovery Plus as a standalone service, it seems as though Warner Bros. Discovery hopes to ensure those unwilling to pay a higher price for both services won’t take their monthly subscription elsewhere.
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