With the Launch of “Max,” Streaming Enters a New Era of Consolidation

Lon Harris
Lon Harris is a contributor to dot.LA. His work has also appeared on ScreenJunkies, RottenTomatoes and Inside Streaming.
With the Launch of “Max,” Streaming Enters a New Era of Consolidation
Evan Xie

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As of Tuesday, it’s official: Warner Bros. Discovery’s (WBD) two major streaming platforms – HBO Max and Discovery+ – have merged into the unified “Max” service. For most current subscribers, the shift will happen automatically in the background; their HBO Max interface will simply update to the new Max service on its own. Some others may be prompted to download the latest version of the app.


Price-wise, everything’s remaining the same; Max is $9.99 per month with ads or $15.99 per month without. WBD is adding one new tier, with 4K Ultra HD streams, the ability to download content for offline viewing, and immersive Dolby Atmos audio on selected titles. That’s going to run $19.99 per month.

The biggest immediate change users will likely note upon moving from HBO Max to just Max is a significant expansion of the platform’s streaming library. Max launches with around 35,000 hours of content, more than double the catalog depth of its predecessor.

Something Akin to Cable 2.0

More than a decade after the massive explosion in the popularity of streaming platforms as an alternative to cable and satellite TV, a period of consolidation is now underway. Next month, on June 27, Paramount Global will formally abandon the Showtime standalone streaming service in favor of the “Paramount+ with Showtime” offering. (Showtime content is already available as a premium add-on with a Paramount+ subscription. The changeover in June will just formalize the connection and eliminate the option to stream Showtime without Paramount+.)

AMC Networks has followed a similar trajectory. While the company’s streaming strategy was initially built around small, lower-cost, niche streaming services – like British TV-focused Acorn TV and horror movie-centric Shudder – a subscription to the flagship AMC+ service now folds in content from across the company’s offerings, as an added inducement for sign-ups.

Speaking at a media conference last week, Warner Bros. Discovery chief David Zaslav suggested that this is just the beginning. He argued that media and entertainment companies should begin joining forces to offer bundles or package deals including even more services. That doesn’t mean merging, as WarnerMedia and Discovery Networks did in order to form Warner Bros. Discovery in the first place. This is something more akin to Cable 2.0, line-ups of multiple streaming services that are all accessed through one monthly subscription, featuring a wide assortment of entertainment styles and genres for the whole family.

Zaslav suggests that, if companies like WBD, Disney, and Comcast’s NBCUniversal don’t make these kinds of arrangements on their own, it will be done for them, potentially by the streaming hubs that already exist. During his presentation, he specifically namechecked Amazon, Apple TV+, and Roku, which of course offer a variety of third-party subscriptions through their own central streaming platforms.

Still, this is a curious argument, mainly because platforms like Roku and Amazon Prime Video Channels are entirely opt-in. If Warner Bros Discovery didn’t want consumers to have the ability to package together Max alongside Paramount+ and Peacock on Amazon’s platform, they could just decline Amazon’s offer. In fact, HBO Max was unavailable via Amazon Prime Channels from mid-2021 through the end of 2022, when they made a new deal with Amazon to return. (That agreement extends through the end of 2024.) Amazon couldn’t force Zaslav’s hand if he wasn’t interested in bundling Max. Perhaps he simply meant such a package offering would be so tantalizing for consumers, there’s no rational way Warner Bros. Discovery could decline to participate.

Cable TV is a Flat Circle

What’s perhaps most intriguing about Zaslav’s suggestion – and the idea that consolidation will completely alter the streaming landscape in such a major way – is how thoroughly his new proposal mirrors the old cable TV system. Streaming, after all, was conceptually promoted to consumers as an improvement to cable television, not just a recreation of the same model but online.

Whereas one cable subscription signs you up for all the content at once, streaming services are a la carte, giving viewers more options and increasing competition, which theoretically leads to not just better deals but higher-quality programming. These individual streamers would also be cheaper than an all-inclusive cable package, allowing TV fans to save money by just selecting the content they most wanted to see. Bundling multiple services together basically eradicates these changes; we’re once again paying one big bill each month for all the content together.

Beyond just historical revisionism, there are some potential complications to Zaslav’s proposed scheme. One of the big sticking points between platforms like Amazon and Roku and content providers like Apple, Warner Bros Discovery, and YouTube owners Google has been around sharing data. If a new customer signs up for Max via Amazon, which company owns that customer and their information? Who gets access to the demographics that allow them to customize their advertising experience?

Consolidation of this sort provides some clear benefits to the studios, streamers, and the tech and telecom companies that own them. Currently, each new fiscal quarter brings fresh scrutiny to subscriber numbers and churn rates. Bundling all the streaming services together takes some of the individual load off. Even if interest in Disney+ dips in Q2, well, maybe a new season of “House of the Dragon” on Max makes up for it, and the overall subscriber picture doesn’t change.

Consumers may ultimately prefer this kind of system as well. It would cut down on the confusion about what shows and films are available to stream on which platforms and would make the entire streaming experience more consistent and reliable. No more wanting to watch a “Harry Potter” film, only to find that they’ve jumped from Peacock to Max. Bundles would likely also be cost-savers for heavy streaming users who are already signed up for five or more individual platforms, which accounts for around 10% of all subscribers in the US.

So if consumers really are willing to go along with a scheme that turns streamers back into cable, studios and platforms may be all too willing to comply. No more complaining about your monthly cable bill though… we’d all have to acknowledge that we did this to ourselves.

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Wonder Dynamics: Redefining the Animation Landscape
Wonder Animation

🔦 Spotlight

Happy Friday, LA!

Wonder Dynamics, a Los Angeles-based company founded by Tye Sheridan and Nikola Todorovic, has launched Wonder Animation, a beta feature that is poised to transform the landscape of video production. Acquired by Autodesk in May, Wonder Dynamics is leveraging this innovative tool, which harnesses artificial intelligence to turn standard video footage into captivating 3D animated scenes, making sophisticated animation techniques more accessible to filmmakers of all budgets.

Wonder Animation allows creators to shoot from multiple angles, with the AI reconstructing these shots into a dynamic 3D space. This functionality enables filmmakers to seamlessly blend live-action scenes with interactive virtual environments while preserving original camera movements. Users can customize various aspects, including animations, characters, lighting, and camera tracking data, and the tool integrates smoothly with popular software like Maya, Blender, and Unreal Engine.

What sets Wonder Animation apart is its emphasis on artistic control. Unlike many AI tools that impose rigid outcomes, this feature empowers creators to guide their projects, ensuring that their unique style remains front and center.

As the boundary between video and 3D animation blurs, Wonder Animation invites creators to experiment and innovate in exciting ways. This development marks a significant step forward in digital storytelling, democratizing access to high-quality visual effects and making sophisticated animation achievable for a broader range of filmmakers.

With the global animation market projected to reach approximately $400 billion in 2024 and grow to over $587 billion by 2030—reflecting a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of about 5%—tools like Wonder Animation are more relevant than ever. This growth underscores the increasing demand for animated content and highlights the necessity of innovative solutions to meet filmmakers’ evolving needs. For those looking to elevate their storytelling, Wonder Animation may just be the key to unlocking new creative horizons. According to Statista, this upward trend in the animation market emphasizes the significant opportunities ahead.


🤝 Venture Deals

LA Companies

  • Evite, an online platform enabling users to design, send, and manage digital invitations and eCards with tools for event organization and guest tracking, has received a strategic growth investment from Francisco Partners to accelerate innovation and expand its product offerings. - learn more
LA Venture Funds
  • F4 Fund participated in a $4.1M Pre-Seed funding round for Further, a platform designed to help first-time homebuyers determine how much home they can afford by providing personalized insights on interest rates and lender requirements, giving users a clear view of their purchasing power. - learn more
  • Alexandria Venture Investments participated in a $10M Seed funding round for CrossBridge Bio, a company focused on developing advanced dual-payload antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) therapies, with the funds supporting preclinical development of its next-generation cancer treatments. - learn more
  • Clocktower Ventures participated in a $5.6M Series A funding round for Morada Uno, a startup in Mexico focused on making apartment rentals easier by providing a platform that connects tenants with landlords and simplifies processes like lease agreements and rent payments. - learn more
  • Skyview Capital participated in a $5M Series A funding round for Web3 chain game A-World, a tower defense battle game set in the metaverse on the BNB Chain, where players build hero towers to defeat waves of monsters. - learn more

      LA Exits

      • Drive Hospitality, a leading provider of personalized parking and hospitality services, including valet, concierge, bell services, parking management, and advanced technology integration, has been acquired by Propark Mobility. - learn more
      • Vebu Labs, located in El Segundo and specializing in custom automation solutions for the food industry—including the innovative 'Autocado' system that automates the peeling, coring, and scooping of avocados to enhance operational efficiency—will be acquired by Serve Robotics. - learn more

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            Big Wins: Dodgers Take the Title ⚾, ChatGPT Levels Up🚀

            🔦 Spotlight

            Happy Friday, LA! It’s been a week of big wins, on and off the field. 🎉

            ⚾️ First up, let’s talk Dodgers. With a thrilling 7-6 comeback victory over the Yankees in Game 5, the Dodgers clinched their eighth World Series title, their first since 2020. The city is buzzing, and fans are ready to celebrate! A parade kicks off this morning at 11 a.m., starting at City Hall and winding down to Flower Street, with a ticketed celebration at Dodger Stadium for those wanting to keep the festivities going.

            Image Source: Dodgers

            💻 Meanwhile, in the tech, OpenAI just rolled out a game-changing update for ChatGPT. Plus and Enterprise users can now access real-time internet search, powered by Microsoft Bing, bringing ChatGPT's responses fully up-to-date. This means users can now ask about the latest news, hotspots, or recent LA startup announcements, and ChatGPT will pull in fresh, relevant answers directly from the web. Previously limited to information up to 2021, ChatGPT’s new browsing capabilities make it a valuable digital assistant for anyone needing real-time insights in fast-paced industries like tech and entertainment.

            Image Source: ChatGPT

            🔍 The real-time search feature also includes “Browse with Bing,” allowing ChatGPT to source information from multiple sites for detailed answers to complex questions. Whether you’re exploring the latest venture capital trends in LA or curious about the best local spots, ChatGPT’s new browsing power helps you stay ahead with the latest info. This leap forward in AI functionality makes ChatGPT even more versatile and powerful for everyone, from business owners to everyday users.

            From the Dodgers’ World Series win to OpenAI’s latest ChatGPT update, there’s a lot to celebrate in LA this week. Here’s to champions, innovation, and a city that’s always pushing boundaries. 🌆✨


            🤝 Venture Deals

            LA Companies

            • Final Boss Sour, a Los Angeles-based gaming-themed snack company specializing in healthier sour snacks, has raised a $3M Seed funding round led by Science Inc. to expand its product offerings and operational capabilities. - learn more
            LA Venture Funds
            • Smash Capital led a $50M Series B round for Read AI, a productivity-focused AI company, bringing its total funding to $81M. The company offers a platform that enhances meeting efficiency through features like note-taking, summarization, and transcription. Additionally, Read AI introduced "Read AI for Gmail," a free Chrome extension that integrates information from various applications, reducing the need to switch between apps. The funds will be used to increase the company's headcount in engineering, data science, and business teams. - learn more
            • Distributed Global participated in a $25M funding round for Nillion, a company that provides decentralized privacy solutions designed to secure sensitive data using advanced technologies like secure multi-party computation. - learn more
            • Act One Ventures participated in a $5M Seed funding round for Latii, a construction materials supply chain startup, to enhance its platform that connects contractors with suppliers, aiming to streamline procurement processes and reduce costs in the construction industry. - learn more
            • SmartGateVC participated in a pre-seed funding round for Ritual Dental, a company revolutionizing dental care by integrating advanced technology and microbiome science to provide personalized, preventive treatments. - learn more

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                Billion-Dollar Milestones and Snapchat’s New Features

                🔦 Spotlight

                Happy Friday Los Angeles!

                This week’s spotlight showcases LA’s thriving tech scene, featuring Snapchat’s latest feature updates and two local startups Liquid Death and Altruist, making TechCrunch’s Unicorn List for 2024.

                Image Source: Snap

                Snapchat’s recent fall updates bring fresh features, including a new iPhone camera shortcut for instant snaps, Halloween-inspired AI-powered Lenses, and Bitmoji costumes inspired by Mean Girls and Yellowstone. Bitmoji stickers now reflect trending Gen-Z expressions like “slay” and heart symbols for added flair in chats. Plus, the “Footsteps” feature on Snap Map allows users to track their past adventures privately, adding a nostalgic touch.

                Image Source: Liquid Death

                ICYMI, two LA startups joined the Unicorn Club—achieving valuations over $1 billion. Liquid Death, based in Santa Monica, is a canned water company with edgy branding and a humorous sustainability focus. Known for viral marketing and brand partnerships, it redefines bottled water as a lifestyle brand and environmental statement. In March, Liquid Death closed $67 million in strategic financing, raising its total funding to over $267 million and valuing it at $1.4 billion.

                Image Source: Altruist

                Altruist, a Culver City-based fintech platform, offers financial advisors streamlined tools to better serve their clients. With a user-friendly investment and account management platform, Altruist has gained strong traction in the finance world. In May, it announced a $169 million Series E funding round, bringing its total funding to over $449 million and earning a valuation of $1.5 billion.

                Together, Liquid Death and Altruist exemplify LA’s capacity for innovation across diverse sectors, from lifestyle branding to fintech. Whether reshaping financial tools or redefining sustainable branding, these companies showcase LA’s unique entrepreneurial spirit. Go LA!

                Check out TechCrunch’s 2024 Unicorn List here. And don’t miss Snapchat’s latest features—perfect for adding some fun, connection and maybe a few selfies this weekend!


                🤝 Venture Deals

                LA Companies

                • Freeform, a company bringing AI to metal 3D printing, raised $14M in funding from NVIDIA’s NVentures and AE Ventures to further develop its AI-powered 3D printing technology for industrial-scale production. - learn more
                LA Venture Funds
                • Anthos Capital participated in a $70M Series D round for Carbon Robotics, which develops AI-powered robotics for precision agriculture, and the funding will be used to accelerate the growth of its autonomous weeding technology. - learn more
                • Anthos Capital participated in a $3.5M seed round for Plasma Network, aimed at expanding access to USDT stablecoins on the Bitcoin network, with the investment supporting the network’s growth and efforts to enhance stablecoin accessibility through the Lightning Network. - learn more

                LA Exits


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