Casey Bloys Holds Back on HBO Max and Paramount+ Future as Merger Waits to Close
HBO chief Casey Bloys would not confirm he will run HBO Max and Paramount+ together once Paramount combines with Warner Bros. Discovery. Speaking at the Bloomberg Screentime conference, he did not deny the expectation that he will keep running HBO Max and add Paramount+ to his remit. He stressed the merger is not closed, as reported by Variety.
Reports ahead of his appearance named Bloys as David Ellison's pick to oversee streaming operations after the combination, as reported by The Wall Street Journal. Bloys said Ellison and his team want to announce their own leadership structure. It was not his to announce.
Bloys said he has held many conversations with Ellison. He described Ellison as very excited and very respectful of what the HBO team has done across HBO's history. He said he believes Ellison will maintain what HBO has built.
Viewers will have to wait for answers on what they will actually pay for and where they will watch. Bloys declined to comment on how soon HBO Max and Paramount+ might merge into one service. He also declined to comment on whether a joint offer was coming soon.
A bundle, meaning two subscriptions sold together for one price, is not confirmed. Bloys said the existing HBO Max bundle with Disney has been very successful. A similar setup for HBO Max and Paramount+ would make sense.
Bloys pointed to change already under way. He referred to Paramount streaming chief Cindy Holland announcing her departure that week. He noted he has been through two mergers before. He knows how unsettling that wait can feel inside an organisation.
He also gave credit to a rival. Bloys called Netflix the leader in streaming. He said the company sits far ahead of others from a technological point of view.
For viewers, this means no change yet. Two apps. Two bills. The same programmes where they are now. Bloys had been billed on the event agenda to explain his playbook for preserving HBO's quality while building the Max library, according to Bloomberg Live. The next decision sits with Ellison's team once the deal closes.
