Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery Will Begin To Bundle Their Streaming Services Together

This latest era of the streaming wars is creating strange bedfellows, including a new partnership between two longtime rivals, Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery, who announced this week a new streaming bundle that includes Disney+, Hulu, and Max.

The idea of bundling is an old idea that recalls the cable era, except in that earlier era, the bundling was done by third-party pay-tv operators, not by the entertainment producers.

The new bundle will be available for purchase beginning this summer in the U.S. and can be accessed through any of the three streaming platforms. It’ll be offered in both an ad-supported and ad-free plan. Pricing and launch date details have yet to be announced.

The big idea behind two competitors bundling their services together is to prevent churn, which is the industry term for when consumers cancel their subscriptions. As JB Perrette, CEO and president, WBD global streaming and games, puts it, the bundle will “drive incremental subscribers and much stronger retention.”

Perrette believes that the bundle offers a “powerful new roadmap for the future of the industry.” Adds Joe Earley, president of Disney Entertainment’s direct-to-consumer division, “this new partnership puts subscribers first” and gives consumers “even more choice and value.”