HBO Max to Get More discovery+ Programming as Streamers Move Towards Spring Merger

The holidays are coming, and Warner Bros. Discovery has a few early presents for its HBO Max customers. The company announced on Tuesday that it would be bringing three shows — including some special holiday fare — to its premium streaming service from discovery+, beginning Wednesday, Nov. 9.

While still available on WBD’s lifestyle streamer, HBO Max will get Seasons 5, 6, and 7 of “Property Brothers: Forever Home,” holiday-themed episodes from the “Chopped” franchise, and Seasons 7 and 8 of “Holiday Baking Championship.” This is not the first time that discvoery+ programming has found its way to HBO Max.

In August, shows and specials from Chip and Joanna Gaines’ Magnolia Network arrived on the flagship streamer as the Waco, Texas-based couple’s offerings tend to be a little more elevated than the traditional Discovery content, making it a perfect entrée to begin the merger of the two WBD streamers.

The Three Discovery Shows Arriving on HBO Max:

• “Property Brothers: Forever Home”: In the series, home renovation superstars Drew and Jonathan Scott rework humdrum houses into enduring family dream homes. In every episode, the brothers unlock a home’s full potential through renovation and redesign to create the perfect place that families won’t want to leave. With reimagined floorplans, creative storage solutions, stunning kitchen, and main bedroom suite reveals, the brothers reignite homeowners’ passion for their forever home.

• “Chopped”: “Chopped” is a cooking competition that is all about skill, speed, and ingenuity where four up-and-coming chefs compete before three expert judges to take everyday items and turn them into an extraordinary three-course meal. Course by course, the chefs will be chopped from the competition until only one winner remains. The curated selection of episodes comes from the fan-favorite “Chopped,” “Chopped Junior” and “Chopped Sweets” and feature challenges themed to Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s and other holiday festivities.

• “Holiday Baking Championship”: Seasons 7 and 8 of “Holiday Baking Championship,” totaling 21 hours of holiday baking skills and competition, will be available to stream starting Monday, Nov. 14. Host Jesse Palmer brings the holiday spice along with judges Nancy Fuller, Duff Goldman, and Carla Hall. In the end, only one baker will ‘sleigh’ the competition.

The arrival of these shows from discovery+ is a great way to bolster the holiday offerings on HBO Max. It’s the perfect time of year to gather with loved ones and watch a cooking show to come up with recipe ideas or enjoy watching as the Scott brother transform a house into a forever home.

The move will also likely be watched closely from behind the scenes by WBD executives. The company is planning to merge HBO Max and discovery+ in the spring of 2023, and the company will be monitoring the progress of these discovery+ shows to get a better idea of what kind of content will do well on the combined service.

If the experiment with these three shows is less successful, they may find their way to the free ad-supported TV (FAST) service WBD is planning to launch after the merger of HBO Max and discovery+. The company has confirmed that the service will consist of shows and movies that don’t attract as much customer attention on its streaming platforms.