WarnerMedia & Discovery lay out next steps for merger

Warner Bros. Discovery is planning to focus on "pure play" content, and HBO Max has rolled out its AVOD tier.
June 2, 2021

WarnerMedia and Discovery have revealed the moniker for their post-merger entity, and are laying out next steps for when the deal closes in 2022. Assuming all goes well on the regulatory front, the new conglom will be known as Warner Bros. Discovery, which was chosen to “honor, celebrate and elevate” both companies’ brands, according to Discovery CEO David Zaslav.

Warner Bros. Discovery will be focused on “pure play” content, according to a release. The media company is also borrowing from one of WB’s most famous films, The Maltese Falcon, for its new tagline: “The stuff that dreams are made of.”

Last month, WarnerMedia and Discovery announced that while they would combine operations into a standalone company, their nascent SVODs discovery+ and HBO Max would continue to operate as separate entities.

In HBO Max news, the platform’s previously announced ad-supported tier is now available. The two-tier system now includes an ad-supported option at US$9.99 monthly, and an ad-free subscription at US$14.99 per month.

Both tiers offer pretty much the same access to content, which includes TV series from Cartoon Network and HBO, and movies from Warner Bros., DC and Turner Classic Movies. First-run day-and-date film premieres—a big part of WarnerMedia’s COVID-19 film release strategy—are not included in the ad-supported tier, but will be made available several months later for a second-window run.

Commercials on the AVOD will run a maximum of four minutes per hour, and not during HBO programming  (similar to the linear experience). There will be ads slots throughout the platform’s kids content, however.

Meanwhile, Cartoon Network has announced that it will focus its Drawn To series on Pride Month in June, highlighting inspirational LGBTQ+ kids and families and the ways they express themselves. LA-based illustrator and designer Caleb Boyles created the graphics for this month’s shorts, which will be available on Cartoon Network, the CN App and the channel’s social platforms.

In May, Cartoon Network used Drawn To to highlight the AAPI community, and it partnered with young Black activists for Black History Month in February.

About The Author
Alexandra Whyte is Kidscreen's News & Social Media Editor. Contact her at awhyte@brunico.com

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