Is my HBO safe? What the Paramount-WBD merger means for the future of CNN, movies, and more.

What happened: Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery have combined under Skydance, which now owns HBO, HBO Max, CNN, CBS, Paramount+, Pluto TV, the Warner Bros. studio, Paramount Pictures, and cable networks including TNT and HGTV. Key numbers: HBO Max ad-free costs $18.49 a month versus $13.99 for Paramount+; ad versions are $10.99 and Why it matters: Ellison said HBO Max and Paramount+ will eventually merge into one service, with a discounted bundle first. Analyst Mike Proulx said debt makes streaming price hikes hard to avoid. CNN keeps editorial independence under CEO Mark Thompson.

Paramount-WBD merger raises questions about HBO, CNN, and movie futures.

Paramount-WBD merger raises questions about HBO, CNN, and movie futures. — impact context not separately stored; see What changed.