Trump buddy and Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison announced a major move for HBO, should his planned merger with Warner Bros. Discovery go through.
According to Variety, Paramount plans to combine HBO Max and Paramount+ into a single streaming service.
HBO, the brand, however, will “operate with independence,” Ellison said during an investor call.
Merging the two services “gives us a little over 200 million direct-to-consumer subscribers,” Ellison said. Variety reported that it remained unclear from the call whether HBO Max will have a separate presence within Paramount+ or if its content will be fully integrated.
The news comes after Netflix bowed out of the bidding war for Warner Bros.’ streaming and studio properties last week. Netflix left the Warner Bros. deal behind after opting not to up its offer against Paramount’s newest bid, which Ellison put together with the sovereign wealth funds of Abu Dhabi, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia.
Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos also faced a MAGA plot to paint the streamer as a vehicle of “left-wing ideological dogma” in Washington by the conservative think tank, the Oversight Project.
Ellison is expected to use the deal to MAGA-fy CNN in a similar fashion to how he installed MAGA-curious opinion journalist Bari Weiss as the head of CBS News when Skydance gobbled up Paramount last year. Some CNN employees are reportedly “devastated” by the news.
MAGA had an initial meltdown in December when Netflix was the Warner Bros. deal’s frontrunner, as far-right influencer Laura Loomer claimed Netflix’s acquisition would somehow give the former president Barack Obama a “cultural reach unmatched by any political family in modern history, effectively creating an ‘Obama News Network,’” since the Obamas’ Higher Ground production company has an ongoing deal with the streamer.
Last Week Tonight host John Oliver, meanwhile, joked on his show Sunday, “We might be getting a new business daddy!”
He continued, “Yeah, not great news,” as he roasted his potential new boss. “In fact, if I may quote anyone who’s ever accidentally sat on their Roku remote, ‘I’m in Paramount now…how the f--- do I get out of here?’” The anti-Trump comedian went on, “Hey, what’re they gonna do? Take us over and immediately cancel us?”
“I’m genuinely asking,” Oliver added.
HBO teased its 2026 slate in December, touting the returns of its critically acclaimed series House of the Dragon, Euphoria, Industry, The Pitt, and more.
According to Variety, Ellison said Monday that he has no plans to interfere with development or programming decisions. HBO and Max Content head Casey Bloys and his team “do absolutely a remarkable job at HBO,” Ellison said, and “we do plan for that to be able to operate with independence, so that HBO can, candidly, do what it does incredibly well.”
He stressed, “Our viewpoint is HBO should stay HBO.” After all, Game of Thrones is his favorite series, the CEO revealed.
Ellison has not made similar promises about CNN.
