HBO Max Head of Original Content Says ‘Love Life’ Has Been the ‘Top Performer’ Since Launch

Just one week after launching, it seems like the execs at HBO Max have a clear idea of what content fans are responding to the most.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Sarah Aubrey, HBO Max’s head of original content, revealed that of all the originals that launched on the platform on May 27, the Anna Kendrick-helmed series “Love Life” had gotten the largest response.

She told The Hollywood Reporter: “It’s very early days, but ‘Love Life’ has been a top performer out of the gate, especially in comparison to other shows on the platform that have 100 episodes. Based on viewership, we felt [getting the episodes up sooner] was how people want to watch it. We’re trying to be bespoke in terms of how we approach those releases and listen to what audiences want.”

Aubrey also spoke about the fact that the streaming service’s debut was up against some obstacles. Not only was HBO Max one of the last services to come out during a time when most major media companies were launching streamers, but they also made their debut in the middle of a pandemic. Aubrey admitted the team at HBO Max considered postponing, but ultimately made the choice to launch as planned while restrategizing their content offerings a bit.

“Early on, there was this gut-check moment and we discussed if we felt ready to launch with the content we have, and we did. We had a good sense early on that this wasn’t going to be, ‘In six weeks, we’ll be back to normal,’” she admitted to The Hollywood Reporter. “We added international content both in the scripted space [British comedy ‘Frayed’] and the nonscripted space [U.K. hit “The Dog House”] to smooth out our offerings; we also acquired ‘Charm City Kings’ and ‘An American Pickle.’”