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A split screen showing the HBO Max and Paramount+ logos, overlaid on a dark background with the Skydance logo in the center.Photo via Deadline

HBO Max and Paramount+ Won’t Merge — They’ll Be Bundled, But the App Is Still Broken

Skydance won’t merge HBO Max and Paramount+ — it’ll bundle them. But the app crash issue could wreck the rollout.

By Reel to Reel1 min read

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Current hype level49

The new streaming empire under the Skydance banner will keep HBO Max and Paramount+ alive — but not as separate beasts. Instead, they’re expected to be bundled, a move that mirrors the successful HBO Max-Disney bundle. The confirmation comes from Casey Bloys, who, when pressed on integration, pointed to that very combo as a blueprint.

'Could you see something like that happening? That would make a lot of sense,' he said, a statement that now reads less like speculation and more like a quiet nod to strategy. The merger’s official launch is set for October 6, when Paramount officially becomes Skydance. And with the company’s new branding slide showing both streamers side by side, the message is clear: no merging, no renaming.

Just two platforms, one parent. But here’s the catch. The Paramount+ app still crashes on every device it touches. LGTV, PS5, desktop, same script every time.

Ads play. Then: ‘Sorry, something went wrong.’ Refresh. Repeat. It’s been this way since day one.

If the bundle is meant to feel cleanly, the current state of the app might just be the biggest flaw in the plan. So while the business logic holds, the user experience? Still broken.

Reported from

This article was written by the CutMirchi desk from the reporting above. Facts are attributed to their original publishers.

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