The streaming service wars has a new alliance, and it's even powerful enough to bring Marvel and DC together.
The rival superhero universes from Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery, respectively, will now be offered to users at home in one fell (discounted) swoop as part of the studios' new streaming bundle, launched on Thursday.
Now customers can watch their favorite Disney princesses, binge "Harry Potter" on Max and keep up with "The Kardashians" on Hulu on one plan, which the companies says will save customers up to 38% monthly.
But that's if you get the no-ads — except for live and linear — plan at $29.99 per month. The ads plan will cost you $16.99 per month, but Disney says that will still save you 34% monthly on the three streaming services.
Separately, Hulu with Disney+ has an ad-supported plan for $9.99 per month and a no-ad plan for $19.99 per month. Max's ad-supported plan is $9.99 monthly, while its two ad-free plans are $16.99 or $20.99 monthly.
Although the three apps will remain separate, the bundle brings together entertainment brands like ABC, Discovery, Food Network, FX, HBO, HGTV, Pixar, Searchlight, Star Wars, CNN and more.
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Upon announcing the plan in May, Warner Bros. Discovery's CEO and president of global streaming and games said the grouping will "help drive incremental subscribers and much stronger retention."
That's especially important in today's consumer streaming market, as Deloitte's most recent Digital Media Trends report states 40% of Americans with a subscription canceled at least one in the past six months, per Forbes. And another Deloitte report from 2022 found 60% of consumers were interested in bundles to save money on streaming.
Disney is already offering a pairing of Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+. And Warner Bros. Discovery, ESPN and FOX announced a partnership to launch a sports streaming app coming in the fall. The new service will bring together coverage of the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, college football and the FIFA World Cup, plus golf, tennis and cycling events.
