HBO Max’s Movie Magic
With Warner Bros. announcing plans to release new movies on HBO Max in 2021 for no additional fee, we looked at how the news impacted subscriptions and the Video On Demand space more broadly.
Reviewing our U.S. data, share of End-of-Period Subscribers saw Netflix continue to dominate with nearly half the market, followed by Hulu just under a quarter share, Disney+ with 14%, and HBO Max commanding just 2% in 4Q 2020.
Share of Gross Adds is a more dynamic story with the formerly named HBO Now seeing 23% share in 2Q 2019 during the last season of Game of Thrones. Disney+ saw a massive 57% share of Gross Adds when released in 4Q 2019 and the debut of their Star Wars Mandalorian series. HBO Max launched in 2Q 2020, capturing 12% share, then registering 10% share of Gross Adds in 4Q 2020.
Given the importance of tentpole releases it will be interesting to watch how HBO Max fares following the release of forthcoming blockbusters such as Dune, Godzilla vs. Kong, In the Heights, and The Matrix 4.
