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Has HBO MAXed Out On US Subscribers?

By October 28, 2021November 11th, 202117 Comments

2021-10-27_17-10-33

HBO Max global subscribers (YoY growth):
1) 2020-Q3 – 56.9M
2) 
2021-Q3 72.4M (↑ 27%)

HBO Max U.S. subscribers (YoY growth):
1) 2020-Q3 – 38.0M
2) 
2021-Q3 45.2M (↑ 19%)

FYI: HBO lost ≈ 5M subscribers after ending their distribution deal with Amazon Channels.

Flashback: Half of HBO Now, most of Showtime and Starz OTT subscribers coming from Amazon Channels: analyst

Big question: Why did HBO pull its app from Amazon Channels?

Quick answer: HBO wants to build a direct customer relationship. This is both financial (billing, etc.) and technical (viewership data, etc.). In the prior relationship, Amazon had both the billing relationship and data.

Quote from Andy Forssell – GM @ HBO Max:
“It’s important for us to own the customer.  If the viewer is in the app, we can tailor the home page to them. We can tailor what they show them next. We can respond to that in real time.”

Video: WarnerMedia CEO Jason Kilar | Full Interview | Code 2021

More: What’s Next For WarnerMedia CEO Jason Kilar? A Forecast

Michael Beach

Michael Beach is the Chief Executive Officer of Cross Screen Media, a media analytics and software company that enables marketers to plan, activate, and measure CTV and linear TV at the local level. Michael is also the founder and editor of State of the Screens, a weekly newsletter focused on video advertising that is a must-read for thought leaders in the advertising industry. He has appeared in such publications as PBS Frontline, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Axios, CNBC and Bloomberg, and on NPR’s Planet Money podcast.

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