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
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