HBO Max and HBO See Significant Subscriber Growth

HBO Max and HBO have reportedly seen significant subscriber growth – news that is good for the newly-formed Warner Bros. Discovery, and bad for competitor Netflix, which has recently been reporting some concerning subscriber loss figures. According to reports, HBO and HBO max ended March of 2022 with a combined total of 76.8 million subscribers, globally, with 48.6 million subs domestically. That figure represents an increase of 3 million subscribers globally and lsince the end of 2021. These latest figures are being reported as Warner Bros. and Discovery close their milestone merger deal. 

HBO and HBO Max have added 12.8 subscribers in the last year, which is a nice jump. We can look at these latest figures and surmise that HBO Max may finally be getting over the biggest hurdle that it had when first launching in May of 2020: converting people from the classic HBO model to the HBO Max streaming service. It would also seem that WarnerMedia's ambitious (and controversial) strategy for 2021 paid off: WB was the sole studio to try a debuting its blockbuster movies on HBO Max on the same day they hit theaters. While that strategy may have taken away from Warner Bros.' earnings at the box office, it clearly made HBO Max a source of premium content that attracted loads of new subscribers. 

Aside from the blockbuster movie content, HBO Max and HBO have scored subscribers through traditional means: offering viewers content the masses flock to and buzz aboout. Shows like Succession, The Gilded Age, and Euphoria are big modern hit series; HBO prestige series like Game of Thrones and The Sopranos have never stopped driving streaming numbers; not to mention, the big-name stars headlining creator-driven event series like Big Little Lies, Mare of Easttown, and The White Lotus – all of which were big, buzz-worthy hits.  HBO Max has also done well in organizing content blocks like the DC Universe TV shows and movies; prestige films through HBO, and even kids blocks like Cartoon Network and Sesame Street. 

AT&T CEO John Stankey spoke about the growth on an investors call, saying that Warner Bros. Discovery head David Zaslav is inheriting a righted ship: 

"David [Zaslav] inherits an organization with one of the best global portfolios of beloved intellectual property, a team with unparalleled talent and one of the few truly global direct-to-consumer players, as evidenced by the continued growth in HBO Max and HBO subscribers," Stankey said. "We're excited about the potential for continued HBO Max growth as the service launches in more new territories."

You can subscribe to HBO Max here. 

Source: THR