Warner Bros Discovery and Paramount are reportedly in talks to merge which could present a big problem for the best streaming services.
If successful, it could see Max (formerly HBO Max), Discovery+ and Paramount+ being combined into one massive super service, which will directly compete with the likes of Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+ and Apple TV+.
Indeed, when you look at the potential content a merged service could offer, it could become the most attractive out there.
Max is the US streaming home to HBO shows, such as The Last of Us and Game of Thrones, while Paramount+ has the Star Trek franchise, Yellowstone, and speedy releases of cinematic blockbusters, such as Top Gun: Maverick and Transformers: Rise of the Beasts.
The addition of Discovery+ would round off the portfolio, with a tonne of true crime documentaries and reality shows balancing the fictional series and movies.
According to Axios, Warner's CEO David Zaslav has had a meeting with his Paramount counterpart, Bob Bakish, to discuss the possible merger. If talks progress and a deal is struck, it could form one of the biggest news and entertainment companies in the world.
It is said that Warner Bros. Discovery would seek to purchase Paramount or even its parent company, National Amusements Inc.
A dominance in global streaming is definitely a driver for the acquisition, as Paramount has a stronger presence outside of the US than Warner. Max isn't in the UK, for example, with HBO shows exclusively broadcast by Sky.
And Discovery+ is a little different in the UK as it includes sports programming from Eurosport and the relatively newly renamed TNT Sports. The latter offers Premier League and European football with a separate paid subscription.
Of course, such mergers and acquisitions can take years to complete, and don't always come to fruition. We're sure that Netflix isn't quaking in its boots just yet, but it seems that the seeds have been sown.
We'll be keeping our eyes on this as it develops, for sure.
