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\t\t<\/p>\n Streaming services HBO Max and Paramount+ will be combined once the merger between Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery is complete.<\/p>\n During an investor call with Paramount CEO David Ellison<\/strong>, he shared that while they do intend to merge the platforms, they still want HBO as a brand to \u201coperate with independence.\u201d<\/p>\n Keep reading to find out more\u2026<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Per Variety<\/a><\/em>, Ellison<\/strong> said he believes this will position them \u201cto compete with leaders in the space,\u201d and they believe the merging of the three services will be finished by mid-2026.<\/p>\n However, the outlet claims \u201cit was not immediately clear what the setup of the new combined streamer will be,\u201d but Ellison<\/strong> wants to maintain HBO\u2019s leadership under Casey Bloys<\/strong> \u201cwithout heavy oversight from Paramount\u2019s execs.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCasey<\/strong> and his team do absolutely a remarkable job at HBO,\u201d he said, citing Game of Thrones<\/strong><\/a><\/em> as one of his favorite shows. \u201cAnd as we said, we do plan for that to be able to operate with independence, so that HBO can, candidly, do what it does incredibly well. Our viewpoint is HBO should stay HBO. They built a phenomenal brand. They are a leader in the space, and we just want them to continue doing more of it. But by bringing the platforms together, all of our content will be able to reach even a broader audience than we can do standalone.\u201d<\/p>\n