Majority of HBO Now Subscribers Have Switched to HBO Max, According to New Study

When HBO Max launched back in May, they allowed HBO Now users to upgrade their services to get the new streamer at no additional cost. Now, according to Digital TV Europe, a new report from discovery app Reelgood shows that a majority of HBO Now users have moved onto the newer service. According to Reelgood, 71 percent of HBO Now subscribers have switched to HBO Max in the two months since its launch.

Though HBO Now customers have taken to HBO Max, the latter’s launch wasn’t without flaws. For one, customers still don’t know how it differs from other HBO-branded services.

“There have been some missed opportunities. I think in terms of messaging out to consumers they are still quite confused on what the offering is and how it differentiates between other services like HBO Now and HBO Go. It’s been a confusing launch, especially compared to other services which have already launched,” Omdia senior analyst Sarah Henschel told the TV Watch podcast.

Nonetheless, those who have been hooked by the service have gravitated towards current movies and older shows. According to Reelgood, the Joaquin Phoenix-helmed film “Joker” proved to be the most popular movie between May 28 to July 2, accounting for 7.3 percent of all film streams on the service. “Ad Astra,” starring Brad Pitt came in second at 5.2 percent.

For TV shows, “Rick and Morty” was number one, accounting for 7.9 percent of all TV series streaming. “Game of Thrones” came in second with 7.6 percent while “Friends” was third with 4.3 percent.

Despite all the hype surrounding “Friends” and its move to HBO Max, a survey conducted by the Hollywood Reporter/Morning Consult back in May revealed that while the pull of “Friends” is strong, it doesn’t overwhelm the pull of other content coming to the platform.

According to the results, 34 percent of respondents said they were more likely to subscribe to HBO Max because it includes TV shows and movies from HBO. This is slightly higher than the 32 percent of people who said they’d subscribe to the streamer because of the Warner Bros. TV library, which holds all 10 seasons of “Friends.”

The study also found that when it came down to specific IP, at 21 percent, “Friends” lagged behind “Game of Thrones” and the DC Extended Universe, which, respectively, 23 and 26 percent of respondents said they would subscribe to HBO Max to watch.