Godzilla vs. Kong Drives Major Growth for HBO Max

Godzilla vs. Kong is one of the biggest films in the world right now, and it has no plans to back down from a box office fight. With Mortal Kombat on the horizon for Warner Bros. Pictures, all eyes are on the studio as Hollywood toes its way into a changing industry. Warner Bros. Pictures has done this beautifully with its hybrid movie distribution, and it turns out Godzilla vs. Kong has helped expand HBO Max in a big way.

The information comes from Variety as the trade was privy to comments from John Stankey, the chief over at AT&T. The parent company of Warner Bros. Pictures held its first-quarter earnings call recently, and it was there Godzilla vs. Kong received all of the praise.

According to the report, Stankey singled out Godzilla vs. Kong as a piece of important proof. The chief explained its hybrid distribution in theaters and through HBO Max has expanded the company on two fronts. For one, Godzilla vs. Kong has raked in more than $80 million USD at the domestic box office and is on track to cross the $100 million threshold amidst the pandemic. And beyond that, Godzilla vs. Kong has been a boon to HBO Max.

Stankey stressed Godzilla vs. Kong has amassed the “largest audience” of HBO Max users since it went live. This success would be impressive even without the box office numbers to match. And in his chat with analysts, Stankey stressed movie rollouts online have “provided theaters with a steady flow of content and has been a great catalyst for growth at HBO Max.”

With users growing by the day, HBO Max plans to carry on with its hybrid distribution plan for the foreseeable future. Mortal Kombat will be the next movie to tackle the box office this weekend, and Warner Bros. Pictures will continue this method until COVID-19 rates go on a substantial decline. So if you are excited for Hollywood’s comeback in 2021, it seems Godzilla vs. Kong is to thank for kicking off everything.

What do you think of this latest HBO Max update? Have you checked out Godzilla vs. Kong yet? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB.