Your streaming lineup may soon be getting a little less crowded.
Skydance, the company that now owns both HBO Max and Paramount+, says the two services will be sold together as one bundle starting in early 2027. So The White Lotus and Tulsa King could end up on the same monthly bill.
The big catch is that nobody knows the price yet. Here's what's actually confirmed, what's still up in the air and what you're paying right now.
Wait, Who Owns What Now?
Quick recap: Paramount Skydance finished buying Warner Bros. Discovery on October 6, 2026. The combined company is simply called Skydance.
That put HBO, CNN, CBS, Paramount Pictures and Warner Bros. under one roof, along with both streaming services. The company has said all along that HBO Max and Paramount+ would eventually come together. Now we have the first step.
The Announcement
In its third-quarter letter to shareholders on November 9, Skydance said it will launch HBO Max and Paramount+ as a single bundle starting in early 2027. The company said subscribers will get both services at "an even greater value."
CEO David Ellison called the bundle the "first step" toward combining the two services. On the earnings call, he said the company has a target to bring the platforms together in roughly a year. Variety has the full rundown.
Skydance also said it plans to line up the two services' behind-the-scenes tech within a year of the deal closing. That would put it around October 2027.
What You're Paying Right Now
Since there's no bundle price yet, here's what each service costs today when you buy directly in the US:
- HBO Max Basic with Ads: $10.99 a month
- HBO Max Standard (no ads): $18.49 a month
- HBO Max Premium: $22.99 a month
- Paramount+ Essential (with ads): $8.99 a month
- Paramount+ Premium (no ads): $13.99 a month
Put the two ad-supported plans together and you're paying $19.98 a month, basically $20. Go ad-free on both and it's $32.48 a month, according to this price breakdown.
So that's the number to beat. If the bundle doesn't come in under about $20 for the ad-supported version, it isn't much of a deal.
What's In the Box
The two services have pretty different personalities, which is kind of the point.
HBO Max
This is the prestige-TV side: The White Lotus, House of the Dragon, Lanterns, plus classics like Game of Thrones and The Sopranos. The Standard and Premium plans also include live sports.
Paramount+
This is the comfort-food side: the Yellowstone family of shows, Landman, Tulsa King, Lioness, the Star Trek universe and shows from CBS, Nickelodeon and Comedy Central. Football fans also know it as the place to watch the NFL on CBS.
Ellison told investors the two services "over-index with different consumer segments and different parts of the country." In plain English, they tend to attract different viewers, so putting them together could cover a lot more households.
The Big Unanswered Questions
Skydance is keeping a lot under wraps for now. Here's what we still don't know:
- The price. Not announced. Ellison said pricing will be guided by "discipline and consumer feedback."
- The exact launch date. "Early 2027" is a target, not a calendar date.
- One app or two? Some reports say the bundle will keep separate apps at first, but Skydance hasn't officially confirmed how it will work.
- The name. No official branding yet.
- Other bundles. HBO Max has been sold in a bundle with Disney+ and Hulu, which costs $21.99 a month with ads. Skydance hasn't said whether that deal will stick around, and Ellison said the company will look at whether arrangements like that make sense.
Skydance says it will share more details on the bundle in the coming months. Until then, HBO Max's own FAQ says there are no immediate changes to the apps, content, subscriptions or pricing. If you already subscribe to one or both, you don't need to do anything yet. The Hollywood Reporter has more on the company's bigger plans.
Austin's Take
Honestly? This could be one of the better streaming moves in a while, but only if the price makes sense. Dragons and cowboys in one bundle sounds great. A bundle that costs the same as paying for both separately just gives you a fancier receipt.
The real test is whether it comes in noticeably under that $20 mark for the ad-supported version. And I'll be watching what happens to the Disney+, Hulu and HBO Max bundle, because a lot of folks already rely on that one.
So what about you? Would you sign up for an HBO Max and Paramount+ bundle, and what's the most you'd pay for it each month? Tell me in the comments!
Image by Sunriseforever from Pixabay
