HBO Max tries to close gap with Netflix and Disney in streaming wars

WarnerMedia CEO said Disney and Netflix as leaders in the streaming war, despite the company’s HBO Max streaming service “breaking through” in 2021 and lagging behind tens of millions of subscribers. He states that he has won a seat.

“It’s no exaggeration to say that three horses are on the front lines of the pack,” Jason Killard told FT. “As for storytelling … Also, looking at the number of subscribers in the US, it’s been pretty depressed after the first three courses.”

Last week, the company reported that HBO Max and HBO had 74 million subscribers by the end of 2021, from 61 million in 2020. Those who pay for HBO’s TV channels have free access to the streaming service.

Despite Kilar’s enthusiasm, HBO Max is still far behind Netflix and Disney, which reported 214 million and 118 million subscribers, respectively, in early October.

You should also pay attention to the number of warners. 74m includes people who pay for HBO’s cable channels. The company has encouraged these customers to sign up for HBO Max, which is available for free. Kilar said the 74m “majority” is using HBO Max, but refused to provide details.

Warner in 2020 Launched HBO Max, The traditional media group is competing with Netflix and trying to secure its position in the digital entertainment world, so throw that hat into the ring. AT & T, the telecommunications group that owns WarnerMedia, hired Hulu veteran Kilar, who previously co-founded Hulu, to build HBO Max.

HBO Max has been slow to start, despite having one of the most valuable entertainment portfolios, including Warner Bros. Pictures and TV studios, HBO networks, and a portfolio of cable channels such as CNN.

The service has been compromised for months by technical glitches, consumer confusion, and negotiating stand-offs, making it impossible to watch HBO Max on Roku’s popular streaming devices.

The company has added 13 million subscribers over the past year. this is, Inheritance When Unsafe, And a bold strategy to release all Warner Bros. movies to HBO Max at no additional charge.

Disney Plus’s 118 million subscribers in October increased by 44 million year-on-year. This is a much faster pace of growth. However, Disney’s services cost significantly less than HBO Max, boosted by its expansion into India, where subscribers pay less than $ 1 a month.

Kilar said Warner will invest more than $ 18 billion in content this year to keep pace with its rivals.Top 8 US media groups are planning spending At least $ 115 billion for new movies and TV shows This year, FT calculated for padding of streaming services.

Disney and Netflix are expected to spend $ 33 billion and more than $ 17 billion in 2022, respectively. “What you see is that people in these positions are actively investing,” said the killer. “We are one of those companies.”

Due to the license agreement with Sky, HBO Max could not be launched in the UK. When asked when the service will debut in the UK, Kilar said: I try not to resent it, but we obviously have a contract that is important to us. “

WarnerMedia will change ownership for the first time in three years. May AT & T agreed spin off Combining WarnerMedia and rival Discovery, just three years after the company was acquired, it has become a humble hideaway from Hollywood for telecommunications companies.

The transaction is expected to close this year, awaiting regulatory approval. Kilar was almost in the dark about negotiations for AT & T to sell WarnerMedia. Observers expect him to leave the company when the deal is closed.

When asked if he was planning to leave, Killard accused him of: I haven’t shared my plans, but I plan to do so later this year. ”

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