Will the looming Paramount-Warner Bros. merger mean no more HBO shows on Crave? | CBC News

"Paramount Skydance is set to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery which owns HBO and its streaming service, HBO Max in a takeover worth $110 billion US (about $150 billion Cdn), pending federal approval that is expected to happen by the end of the year. It's not clear what that means for Warner Bros. Discovery's existing deals with Canadian broadcasters and streamers, including Crave, or whether Canadian viewers will have to subscribe to another service to watch their favourite shows."

"Paramount's subscription service, Paramount+, is already available in Canada, along with its free ad-supported TV (FAST) service, Pluto TV. Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison has indicated he wants to bring those platforms and HBO Max together into a single streaming service. 'We think that really positions us to compete with the leaders in the space,' Ellison said on a recent investor call, according to The Guardian."

"Crave has streamed HBO and HBO Max programming since it signed a licensing deal with the company's former parent, then AT&T-owned Warner Media, in 2019. A new deal was struck in 2023 a year after Discovery bought Warner Media to form Warner Bros. Discovery and it was renewed and expanded in 2024."

Paramount Skydance is acquiring Warner Bros. Discovery for $110 billion USD, pending federal approval by year-end. This acquisition threatens Crave's exclusive rights to HBO programming in Canada, including the upcoming Harry Potter adaptation and series like The White Lotus, The Last of Us, and House of the Dragon. Paramount CEO David Ellison plans to consolidate Paramount+, Pluto TV, and HBO Max into a single streaming service to compete with industry leaders. Crave has held HBO licensing rights since 2019, with deals renewed through 2024. The acquisition's impact on existing Canadian broadcaster agreements remains unclear, potentially requiring viewers to subscribe to additional services.

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