Verizon Makes Bundle Strategy With Netflix & Max Official

Verizon broke the news about an exclusive bundle deal for its “myPlan” users where they secure a subscription to ad-supported versions of Max and Netflix for a meager $10 per month.

The offer is strictly available to Verizon’s wireless subscribers who are on one of the company’s latest plans, namely Unlimited Welcome, Unlimited Plus, or Unlimited Ultimate. Customers subscribed to legacy plans would have to upgrade to benefit from this special deal, which will be up and running starting on Dec. 7.

Verizon has been redefining its strategy since May when it discontinued perks like the all-encompassing Disney Bundle. Instead, it provided users the freedom to select the perks they desired for $10 per month, per perk. In essence, Verizon cleverly allowed its customers to enjoy services they value while dismissing the ones they rarely use. For example, the Disney Bundle, which typically costs $19 per month, could be secured for a mere $10 per month through Verizon, offering a sweet savings of $9 per month. Similar savings applied to Apple One and Walmart Plus, with potential savings of nearly $7 and $3 per month, respectively.

The individual subscriptions to Max with Ads and Netflix Standard with ads cost $10 and $7 per month, respectively. However, with the Verizon bundle, consumers can amass a neat saving of $7 per month compared to individual subscriptions.

A customer subscribing to the new Netflix and Max bundle, the Disney Bundle, Apple One, and Walmart Plus could be shelling out just $40 per month to Verizon while gaining access to a myriad of ad-supported services like Netflix, Max, Hulu, ESPN Plus, and Paramount Plus (thanks to Walmart Plus). They would also enjoy ad-free Disney Plus and Apple TV Plus via Apple One, which further bundles in Apple Music and Apple Arcade.

What’s interesting about this strategy is that Verizon is bringing on board two streaming services owned by its competitors, a tactic previously employed by T-Mobile and AT&T. T-Mobile has a long history of integrating Netflix into its wireless plans, while AT&T had previously incorporated Max into its offerings back when it was branded as HBO Max.

While AT&T discontinued this deal in June 2022, it hinted at a potential revival in August of that year after striking a new agreement with Max’s parent company Warner Bros. Discovery. However, no such deal has been manifested in its traditional wireless plans so far.

This bundling strategy may evoke feelings of nostalgia for traditional cable packages, and Verizon’s Netflix and Max offering could be just the tip of the iceberg. A recent report from The Wall Street Journal indicated a potential partnership between Apple and Paramount for a shared offering that brings together Apple TV Plus and Paramount Plus. This suggests a trend where more streaming services might collaborate to offer bundled services in the future.