Appvestr

Appvestr® March 2026 Update

Posted by Roger Snook on

The big news in the app corporate ownership and streaming services space is Paramount Skydance’s $110 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD), expecting to close in Q3 2026, which aims to create a single streaming powerhouse to compete with Netflix and Disney+.

If you use Appvestr® today to discover your next portfolio, the following apps are already being discovered for you, however, these same apps are expected to be eventually owned by Paramount Skydance, and once that occurs, the Appvestr® discovered portfolio will include the PSKY stock references:

  • HBO Max: Paramount CEO David Ellison has announced plans to merge HBO Max and Paramount+ into a single, unified streaming service. While the HBO brand will be retained due to its prestige, it will eventually exist within this combined platform.
  • Discovery+: As part of the merger, Discovery+ assets will likely be integrated into the new combined platform. Prior to the acquisition, WBD had already considered spinning off its “Global Networks” (including Discovery+) into a separate entity, but Paramount’s full acquisition suggests these will now fall under the new corporate umbrella.
  • Paramount+: This service will be the other half of the “super-service” merger with HBO Max. The goal is to bring together libraries like Game of Thrones and Succession with Paramount’s Yellowstone and Star Trek. The current standalone app may be replaced.
  • Pluto TV: Already owned by Paramount, Pluto TV is expected to be a major beneficiary of the deal. Executives plan to funnel WBD’s massive library of “evergreen” content (older films and reality series) into Pluto TV to bolster its free, ad-supported (FAST) offerings.
  • CNN App: CNN will now be under the same corporate roof as CBS News. While it will remain a distinct brand, there are expectations of editorial shifts and potential technical integration between the two news operations.
  • Bleacher Report (B/R): This digital sports platform will likely be integrated into the merged company’s broader sports strategy, which now includes a massive combined portfolio of rights (e.g., UFC, March Madness).
    • While the UFC content is owned by TKO Group Holdings (trading as TKO), the streaming rights from 2026-2033 are owned by Paramount Skydance.
  • WBTV (Free Service): Plans for a standalone “WBTV” free streaming app appear to have been shelved in favor of using Pluto TV as the primary vehicle for WBD’s free content.

This is an ongoing story and Appvestr® will continue to monitor these changes to properly reflect any discovered portfolio from these changes.

In the digital radio space, Entravision has been doubling down on its digital and AI strategy to compete with streaming giants. This often involves sunsetting older, glitchy individual apps in favor of a more stable, unified experience and the unified The El Botón App, which is the official app for all La Tricolor, Jose, and La Suavecita stations.