WarnerMedia Adds 2.8 Million HBO and HBO Max Subscribers, Reaching 47 Million Domestic Subscribers
HBO Max continues to see the gains of bringing Warner Bros theatrical slate directly to the streaming service the same day.
After launching films like “Godzilla vs. Kong”, “The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It”, and “In The Heights” – HBO Max and HBO reached 47 million subscribers in Q2 2021, up 2.8 million last quarter. The streaming service has added a total of 5.5 million subscribers in 2021.
The company is also seeing the effects of their new, cheaper ad-supported plan, which launched in the beginning of June at $9.99 a month.
In comparison, Netflix now has ~74 million subscribers in North America, after losing 400K subscribers last quarter. Hulu had 41.6 million subscribers as of last quarter, while Disney+ reportedly has 37 million subscribers in North America. HBO Max, however, has a ARPU of $11.90, which is in-line with Netflix, but more than double the others.
Internationally, HBO and HBO Max subscribers grew from 19.3 million to 20.5 million over the last year. The company launched in Latin America at the very end of the quarter.
In total, the company now has 67.5 million HBO and HBO Max subscribers worldwide, up 11.9 million subscribers in the last year. The company now expects to end the year with between 70-73 million global subscribers.
HBO Max has been making steady, consistent progress as it works to solidify itself in the pantheon of streaming Olympus alongside competitors like Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, and Amazon Prime Video.
Starting the second quarter strong by claiming its largest streaming audience up to that point thanks to “Godzilla vs. Kong,” HBO Max has been taking full advantage of its arrangement with Warner Bros. regarding exclusive, same-day streaming rights to their 2021 releases.
While 2022 will signal the implementation of a different strategy regarding theatrical releases, the future will still see movies from the studio beaming directly to the platform.
HBO Max continued to make headlines this spring as June saw the debut of the platform's ad-supported subscription tier. While once the bane of viewers and a leading reason to cut the cord, subscribers have become remarkably receptive to ad-supported streaming options.
Not to be outdone by other streamers in their individual quests for global domination, HBO Max launched in 39 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean on June 29, throwing their weight into the ring in a big way by offering new subscribers in the market 50% off for life.
May saw the platform’s parent company, AT&T, announce a merger with Discovery in a bombshell development. While the merger won’t close until next year and a new strategy yet to be realized, it’s safe to assume that a bigger broader HBO Max, with Discovery-content will only benefit the service.