HBO Max‑Paramount+ Bundling Prospect
Casey Bloys, who oversees HBO’s programming and the HBO Max streaming service, told attendees at the Bloomberg Screentime conference in Los Angeles that HBO Max could be bundled with Paramount+ once Warner Bros. Discovery completes its expected acquisition by Paramount Skydance Corp. He declined to discuss his own new role but said such a bundle "would make a lot of sense."
Post‑Merger Leadership
Bloys is slated to oversee the merged streaming operations after Paramount’s streaming chief, Cindy Holland, departed on Tuesday. Bloys noted he has had conversations with Paramount head David Ellison, describing Ellison as "very excited" and "very respectful of what the HBO team has done."
Antitrust Settlement Context
On the preceding Wednesday, a California federal judge approved Paramount’s settlement of antitrust lawsuits filed by twelve state attorneys general and the Writers Guild labor union. The settlement obliges Paramount to distribute 30 films per year in theaters and has encountered significant opposition in Hollywood over concerns that it could reduce competition and cut jobs in the entertainment sector.
Competitive Landscape
Bloys acknowledged that Netflix Inc. remains "the leader in streaming, particularly from a technological point of view," but asserted that "we’re all catching up" as the industry evolves.