This photo illustration shows the Disney+ logo on a smartphone screen.
SOPA images | Light rocket | Getty Images
The bundle is back.
Disney And Warner Bros. Discovery plan to offer their streaming services — Disney+, Hulu and Max — in a bundle that mirrors the traditional cable TV package, the companies said Wednesday.
The latest version of the bundle, which will be available this summer, will be offered in both ad-supported and ad-free tiers. Pricing has not yet been announced, but the option will be offered at a discount, according to a person familiar with the matter.
Disney in this case will essentially act as a distributor, collecting subscription fees from subscribers and letting Warner Bros. Discovery will pay out a percentage, the person added.
This mix of Max, Disney+ and Hulu gives streaming subscribers access to a wide range of content from the cable TV bundle. It includes broadcast networks ABC and Fox (Fox, which does not have its own subscription entertainment streaming service, licenses the content on Hulu), as well as cable networks such as TNT, TBS, CNN, Discovery Channel, Food Network, Disney Channel and more.
The offering, reminiscent of the traditional cable TV bundle that has been turned upside down in recent years and continues to churn customers at a rapid pace, is the latest partnership between the two media giants in recent months.
Warner Bros. Discovery and Disney's ESPN, along with Fox Corp., have also joined forces to offer a sports streaming service, expected to launch this fall.
Earlier on Wednesday, Fox CEO Lachlan Murdoch said during an earnings call that he believed the sports streaming company would likely be bundled with other entertainment streaming services.
Disney has been offering its streaming services – Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+ – as a bundle for some time now. ESPN+ will still coexist with the sports streaming company, but will not be included in the Warner Bros. Discovery and Disney Bundle. Hulu content has also recently been integrated into the Disney+ platform, although it still requires separate subscriptions.
Max costs $9.99 per month with ads, or $15.99 without. The basic tier of Disney+ with ads costs $7.99 per month – or bundled with Hulu, $9.99 per month – while the premium subscription costs $13.99 per month, or $19.99 with Hulu. Meanwhile, Hulu itself costs $7.99 with ads, or $17.99 without ads.