Warner Bros. Discovery and Amazon are in talks to renew a distribution deal that would allow the online retailer to sell HBO Max from the newly merged company along with its Prime Video subscription, according to Bloomberg.
The news outlet reports that the deal to resell the HBO Max streaming service may happen this year, though negotiations may yet break down.
A decision made just last year would be overturned if the two parties reached a compromise. The decision by HBO Max, owned at the time by AT&T, to remove its service from Amazon cost the company 5 million subscribers. Warner executives desired a direct interaction with the clients, but HBO Max’s access to data on viewer preferences and its capacity to advertise new shows were both restricted by Amazon, according to Bloomberg.
WarnerMedia and Discovery merged in April, and former Discovery CEO David Zaslav now serves as the CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery. Bloomberg reports to help pay off debt and raise the price of Warner Bros. Discovery’s stock, Zaslav has to increase HBO Max’s subscriber base and revenue.
Customers of Amazon’s Prime Video can purchase add-on subscriptions to various streaming services, including Paramount+ and Showtime, and access other companies’ content through Prime. Discovery+ is sold via Amazon channels.
