Looney Tunes More Popular Than Game Of Thrones on HBO Max

HBO Max brought back Looney Tunes and apparently people are loving it more than Game of Thrones! Bloomberg News did a breakdown of how HBO Max's recent launch is measuring out and reported that the new "'Looney Tunes Cartoon,' a new take on classic characters Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck, was the most in-demand show when AT&T Inc.'s new HBO Max service." That data comes via Parrot Analytics, which measures how popular TV shows are, based on online factors like social media buzz, fan ratings, and even piracy. The Not-Too-Late Show With Elmo was second, marking a surprising twist in expectations.

A lot of analysts expected that the real initial appeal of HBO Max would be getting to see the more adult content on the service, which would make it an easily discernible rival to the more family-friendly angle of Disney+. However, that opposite has turned out to be true. Of course, one goal that AT&T has had for WarnerMedia is to increase the appeal of HBO's family-friendly programming. This data would suggest that the goal is being met - albeit a goal in the larger push for streaming market share.

According to the Parrot Analytics data, while Looney Tunes is currently hot (about 19x more in demand than the average show), it still doesn't hold a candle to the impact that Disney+ had with The Mandalorian (46.1x). That analysis can arguably be extended to the entire HBO Max launch. It's been a success on a lot of fronts, but not quite as big a success as Disney+. Of course, that could be as much a result of the timing, as anything. HBO Max's late May debut came when attention has definitely been focused elsewhere, like the volatile social upheaval and global pandemic affecting the world. Just to keep things in perspective, though, HBO Max is faring a whole lot better than Quibi, which has had a disastrously (fatal?) ill-timed launch. Quibi's goal of being the streaming service for an on-the-go world of mobile phones has crashed against the reality of quarantine lockdowns during the COVID-19 outbreak. Even one its leading shows (Chrissy's Court) is only generating 3x interest, according to Parrot.

It's no surprise that Looney Tunes is generating more interest than Game of Thrones. It was always questionable just how many people hadn't found a way to watch the biggest TV show in the world on various HBO platforms, and would then sign up for an HBO Max account. Apparently, that Venn Diagram is indeed small.

HBO Max is now up and running.