David Zaslav Suggests Rival Streamers Should Bundle Together: If We Don’t Do It Ourselves “It Will Be Done To Us”

deadline.com:

Warner Bros. CEO David Zaslav thinks consolidation is in the cards for streaming platforms, but not necessarily through traditional M&A. “There should be a consolidation, but it is more likely to happen in the repackaging and marketing of products together.

That’s what I think makes sense. We have to, as industry, reach that point,” he said during a Q&A at a media conference today.

Mergers carry regulatory risks and can take years to close. In a fast-changing industry, “Who knows what the world looks like?” His comments at the MoffettNathanson event come as WBD prepares to launch Max next week, a combo of HBO Max – that name will disappear — and Discovery+ content.

Disney last week announced plans to combine Disney+ and Hulu in one app. Executives fighting to attract new subscribers and reduce churn all agree that bundling really helps.