HBO Max and Discovery Plus will combine into a single subscription service after Discovery completes its merger with WarnerMedia this year, Discovery CFO Gunnar Wiedenfels said earlier this week.
The decision creates a streaming platform with the content arsenal and customer base to compete with the upper echelon of streaming giants, such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Disney Plus. The combined app will include WarnerMedia’s HBO premium shows and Warner Bros.’ movies, as well as Discovery’s roster of unscripted programming. Reporter Christian Hetrick looks at what it could mean for the ongoing streaming wars and the services themselves.
Here’s What Happened in LA’s Entertainment Tech World This Week 🍿
The creators of “The Real World” and “Keeping Up With the Kardashians” are putting their own spin on reality TV using the blockchain.
Stealth gaming startup Battlebound created its new game “Evaverse” to be a community for “blockchain players, traditional gamers and NFT collectors.”
State lawmakers are proposing a bill that would allow parents to sue social media moguls including TikTok and Snap for the addictive nature of their apps.
Sharing a Netflix account with someone you don’t live with? You may soon need receive a bigger bill.
Snap’s new feature allows creators to design immersive AR experiences around landmarks on its map.
Beverly Hills-based startup NFT Brands launched to create “multimillion-dollar NFT projects” for brands, celebrities and artists.
HBO Max partners with Discovery Plus in a single subscription service that will include HBO’s premium series, Warner Bros’ films and Discovery’s unscripted shows.
From the mouse to the metaverse: Former Disney CEO Bob Iger is joining virtual avatar startup Genies.
Transportation & Tech
WeHo-based Wheels has tried to distinguish itself by making its devices ubiquitous in low-income communities and expanding access to “underrepresented” riders.
As gas prices rise and drivers consider alternatives, e-scooters and e-bike companies are offering their services as a solution.
As more EVs are produced, prices are expected go down–but don’t expect it to happen in 2022.
Consumers are looking to buy electric vehicles as gas prices increase, but manufacturers are failing to meet the demand.
Raises and $$ 💰
Propel Bio is seeking to raise a pooled investment fund of $150 million to invest in life sciences companies at various stages of development.
Bambee raised $30 million in funding to provide small- and medium-sized businesses with outsourced HR services.
Snappt raised a $100 million Series A funding round to help landlords weed out fraudulent rental applications.
BayaniPay partnered with East West Bank to expand its services beyond allowing users to send money to the Philippines.
Investors contributed $10 billion less capital to startups than last month
🎧 Listen Up
Sarah Gibson Tuttle left her corporate job and built an at-home nail care business, Olive and June. This week she spoke with the Behind Her Empire podcast about how she did it.
Upfront Ventures’ Kobie Fuller talked with the L.A. Venture podcast about his approach to investing, understanding users’ needs and why he tries to keep a ‘neutral’ mindset.
Also...
As McPlant sales grow, Beyond Meat and McDonald’s expensive gamble in meatless burgers could still pay off in a flagship menu item.
L.A.’s soccer team, Angel City FC, has its first competitive game this weekend. Earlier this week, athletes and execs of the team met do discuss wage gaps between men and women in tech and sports.
Chipotle’s SoCal employees are getting an extra hand in the kitchen in the form of a robotic tortilla chip-maker named “Chippy.”
Waste-to-hydrogen companies are popping in California as the state looks for new ways to bring more renewable energy online.