HBO Shows Draw Limited Interest on Netflix? WBD Needs More Variety to Compete
The most recent Netflix data dump showed that titles licensed from HBO aren’t exactly topping the charts anymore.
Netflix has begun doing something truly unique in the streaming world: releasing viewership data for all of its shows every six months. The most recent data dump covering the first half of 2024 was unveiled by Netflix on Thursday, and embedded in the list of thousands of titles available on the streamer was a bit of disappointing news for HBO and its parent company. Warner Bros. Discovery entered into a licensing agreement with Netflix in 2023, sending it shows that had been exclusively available on Max, such as the Issa Rae comedy “Insecure,” the black comedy “Six Feet Under,” “Ballers” starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, and more. Those shows started strong on Netflix, but the most recent viewership dump shows that they have trailed off considerably, and even new arrivals like “Sex and the City” are struggling to gain traction. The numbers show it might be time for HBO to rotate the inventory of titles now available on Netflix.
Key Details:
- “Sex and the City” Season 1 is the highest-rated HBO title on Netflix at No. 156 on the list.
- “Ballers’ Season 1 has fallen more than 1,000 spots on the list as compared to the second half of 2023.
- Titles licensed from other outlets like “Young Sheldon” and “Suits” are gaining much more traction on Netflix.
In the early days of the licensing deal between Netflix and HBO, both sides were quick to tout its efficacy. “Insecure” reportedly saw a 370% jump in engagements on Max after being licensed to Netflix, and executives from both companies lauded the results of the deal as a rising tide that lifted all boats.
The tide seems to have since ebbed for the HBO shows on Netflix. “Sex and the City” was by far the best-performing HBO title for Netflix in the first half of 2024, despite only debuting on the streamer in April. Its first season is No. 156 on Netflix’s viewership list, having compiled 9.4 million views in its first two months of availability.
Shows among the first wave of titles licensed by HBO to Netflix in the second half of 2023 have trailed off considerably. “Ballers” Season 1 for example debuted at No. 139 on the Netflix list last year, but has now plummeted all the way to No. 1,221. “Insecure” was No. 516 in the second half of 2023, but in the first half of 2024 has dropped to No. 2,030.
“Six Feet Under” has experienced a fall similar to “Insecure,” hitting a high of No. 839 in its debut on Netflix’s bi-annual list, before falling to 1,943 in the first half of 2024. Even the highly-regarded World War II drama “Band of Brothers” is now down to No. 545, after starting at 172 last year.
It’s fair to point out that these shows are often comprised of shorter seasons, which means that they compile fewer viewing hours than shows with seasons of 20 episodes or more. But the drop-off is considerable, and it may be time for HBO to consider rotating the titles it sends to Netflix more frequently in order to make viewers better aware of the many types of content available on Max.
Which Licensed Titles Are Having More Success on Netflix?
The trailing off in popularity of HBO originals on Netflix doesn’t mean that all licensed titles are doing badly on Netflix at the moment. However, the non-original shows that are doing well on Netflix currently are less geared toward the prestige TV, which HBO specializes in. Many of these shows are essentially 10-hour movies, forcing the viewer to lean forward and pay attention at basically all times.
However, the top 150 on Netflix’s first half of 2024 list is peppered with seasons of “Young Sheldon,” “Suits,” and “House, M.D.” The popularity of “Suits” in particular has shown incredible longevity on Netflix; in the second half of 2023, Season 1 of “Suits” was ranked No. 21 on the Netflix viewership list, and has only dropped to No. 50 in the first six months of this year.
These titles are more procedural in nature and average roughly two dozen episodes per season. Unlike their prestige HBO counterparts, these types of shows don’t require viewers to watch intently for every second of run time, or even to watch episodes in any particular order. Instead, audiences can turn these shows on in the background while they do work from home or can multitask while scrolling on their phones. These familiar shows bring a level of comfortability and relaxation that prestige shows inherently lack.
The problem for HBO is that this type of “lean-back” entertainment isn’t its specialty. Its most famous title in this category is “Friends,” but “Friends” has been licensed to Netflix in the past, meaning the novelty of being able to find it there is now gone. There are also limited cross-promotional opportunities for Max in licensing “Friends” to Netflix again, as the streamer doesn’t have a ton of other “Friends”-related content to drive curious viewers toward.
This isn’t to say that licensing prestige TV can’t continue to be successful for HBO and Netflix alike. The success of the first round of shows sent to the world’s largest streamer proves that it can, but these shows simply don’t have the staying power of more “lean-back” entertainment. That’s why HBO should strongly consider a faster rotation of shows on and off the Netflix platform, giving Netflix subscribers a better taste of what they can find on Max and more strongly encouraging them to try the streamer for themselves.
Max
Max is a subscription video streaming service that gives access to the full HBO library, along with exclusive Max Originals. There are hubs for content from TLC, HGTV, Food Network, Discovery, TCM, Cartoon Network, Travel Channel, ID, and more. Watch hit series like “The Last of Us,” “House of the Dragon,” “Succession,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” and more. Thanks to the B/R Sports add-on, users can watch NBA, MLB, NHL, March Madness, and NASCAR events.