WarnerMedia is planning to package HBO, Warner Bros' library of movies and TV shows, and Cinemax content into a streaming service that will cost $16-17 per month, according to a report by the WSJ.
WarnerMedia streaming service
WarnerMedia is owned by AT&T who acquired Time Warner, including HBO, for $81 billion about a year ago. After the acquisition was approved, the company announced intentions to launch a global streaming service by late 2019.
This streaming service will include movies and TV shows from HBO, Warner Bros, and Cinemax, according to the WSJ's sources who claim that it will cost between $16 and $17 per month, making it more expensive than Netflix's $13 per month Standard plan and considerably more expensive than the upcoming $7 per month Disney+ streaming service.
WSJ says that it will launch in "beta" form later this year and "be fully up and running as early as next March". No details regarding picture/audio quality or platform support were included in the report.
WarnerMedia is considering adding an ad-supported plan to the mix later in 2020 and a premium option with live events or sports further down the road.
Competition on the streaming market will intensify later this year. Besides WarnerMedia, Apple, Disney, and NBCUniversal are planning to launch streaming services in the second half of 2019, while Discovery is planning to launch at least one streaming service in 2020.
- Source: WSJ
