15 HBO Max Titles Suddenly Removed From Streaming Service (Updating)

Cynthia Littleton Business EditorFive years almost to the day after it began, Hollywood’s evangelistic fervor for streaming has been extinguished this week by the “Batgirl” imbroglio. Warner Bros. Discovery’s decision to scrap the completed DC Comics film that was bound for HBO Max marks the boldest example of Old Media economic rigor being applied to contemporary content spending. David Zaslav, CEO of the newly reconfigured media conglomerate, didn’t even mask his bewilderment at the decision-making process and optimistic profit projections made by the previous WarnerMedia regime.

After a few days of mass uncertainty, with folks on social media wondering what is going on at one of the biggest studios in Hollywood, Warner Bros. Discovery has shed some light on the company’s future.

Zack Sharf The summer movie season is winding down, and streaming will be more needed than ever this month as Sony’s “Bullet Train” is the only major studio tentpole releasing in theaters. Family audiences are in luck as Pixar’s “Lightyear” arrives on Disney+ after underwhelming at the box office earlier this summer.

Gallery: From teen idol to global pop icon and Emmy nominated actress. . . Happy 30th birthday, Selena Gomez! (BANG Showbiz)Chrissy's comments come after David Zaslav, the CEO of Warner Bros Discovery - the parent company of HBO Max - revealed HBO Max and Discovery+ will be merged into a single product in the US by mid-2023.

HBO Max and Discovery+ into a single platform that is commercially and technologically viable. But the conglomerate looks like it will be playing catch-up in streaming markets outside the U.S.

Todd Spangler NY Digital EditorWarner Bros. Discovery is looking to pull a FAST one — telling investors the company is mulling the launch of a free, ad-supported TV (FAST) service stocked with content from its portfolio of brands to complement its premium subscription biz.The first strategic priority on the streaming side of the house is to merge HBO Max and Discovery+ into a single platform.

HBO Max and Discovery+ will merge to become one streaming service next year.In a second quarter earnings call on Thursday (August 4), Warner Bros. Discovery’s CEO David Zaslav announced that the merged streamer will launch in the summer of 2023 in the US, with Latin America, Europe and other territories to follow soon after. The combined streaming service will be released with ad-free, ad-light and ad-only options.As reported by Entertainment Weekly, Zaslav addressed concerns that the merger would result in less emphasis on original programmes.

Warner Bros. Discovery plans to launch its streaming service that combines the assets of HBO Max and Discovery+ next summer in the U.S., the company said during its quarterly earnings call Thursday. With a target date set, there is a lot to figure out in the coming months, including what the consolidated platform will be called.

Warner Bros. Discovery is facing a lot of backlash after releasing an infographic that broke down the demographics of their two streaming services, HBO Max and Discovery Plus.

Warner Bros. Discovery is doubling down on HBO and HBO Max.

Warner Bros. Discovery expects to launch its combined HBO Max/Discovery+ streaming service in the U.S. next summer.

Warner Bros. keeps announcing big changes.

Todd Spangler NY Digital EditorFiguring that the whole of a combined HBO Max-Discovery+ is greater than its streaming parts, Warner Bros. Discovery announced a timeline for the two services to be fused together.HBO Max and Discovery+ will launch in the U.S.

Todd Spangler NY Digital EditorWarner Bros. Discovery is not going to say how many HBO and HBO Max customers it has.In the second quarter, the media conglomerate said HBO Max, HBO and Discovery+ subscribers combined were 92.1 million, up about 1.6 million from 90.4 million the prior quarter. That’s up 22% 75.8 million on a pro-forma basis versus a year earlier.However, WBD’s streaming businesses lost subscribers domestically in Q2, dropping 300,000 — falling from 53.3 million in the first quarter to 53.0 million as of June 30.For Q1, AT&T — the prior owner of WarnerMedia and HBO Max — had reported 76.8 million total HBO and HBO Max subscribers worldwide, including 48.6 million domestically.

HBO Max is undergoing some changes after its parent company merged with Discovery — and some fans are worried about the fate of their favorite shows.

CNN and Warner Bros. Discovery are launching a dedicated CNN Originals hub on Discovery+ domestically starting August 19.

The HBO Max drama continues!

Everyone’s talking about the possible ending of HBO Max, and whether their favorite TV shows are being cancelled.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV EditorCNN, which briefly enjoyed its own bespoke streaming home, is moving into a bigger broadband neighborhood.Warner Bros. Discovery, which shut down the nascent CNN+ streaming hub in April just weeks after it debuted, will launch a CNN Originals section on the subscription-video hub Discovery+, creating a new venue for CNN series and documentary films, as well as original programs from sister cable network HLN, which focuses largely on true-crime content. The CNN programming will be made available starting August 19.“True crime, food and travel programming are among the most-watched genres for Discovery+ viewers, so these titles from CNN will fit right in with our best-in-class collection of unscripted content,” said JB Perrette, president and CEO of Warner Bros.

Jennifer Maas TV Business WriterChip and Joanna Gaines’ Magnolia Network lineup, including all five seasons of HGTV’s “Fixer Upper,” will begin streaming on HBO Max in September, Variety has learned exclusively.According to a WarnerMedia source, “select” titles from Magnolia Network will come to the streamer Friday, Sept. 30, as part of a page featuring “curated” content from the Gaineses, which includes “Fixer Upper: Welcome Home,” “Magnolia Table with Joanna Gaines” and “The Lost Kitchen,” among other series.The former HGTV superstars launched their Magnolia linear and streaming channel in partnership with Discovery last year, before Discovery’s merger with WarnerMedia.Industry sources say that a new series “Fixer Upper: The Castle,” which centers on the Gaines’ overhauling their 100-year old castle in Waco, Texas, will premiere on HBO Max, along with the linear Magnolia Network and Discovery+, on Oct.

Zack Sharf James Gunn is assuring DC fans that “Peacemaker” Season 2 is in fine shape at HBO Max despite the recent news that Warner Bros.’ has killed “Batgirl” from being released either on the streamer or in theaters. “Peacemaker,” a spin-off of Gunn’s “The Suicide Squad” starring John Cena in the title role, was a big hit for HBO Max when it debuted at the start of 2022. A second season was officially announced in February.“Is ‘Peacemaker’ Season 2 safe?” asked one fan on Twitter following the news of “Batgirl’s” demise.