A new streaming platform with a titanic budget is coming later this month. The new platform is attached to a household name, HBO Max. HBO is finally coming to the streaming game with its vast library of critically acclaimed series. They will also produce original content that will only be found on HBO Max.
HBO Max will release on May 27th. I think that is very odd, considering it is the Wednesday after Memorial Day. I’m not trying to advise people at one of the largest companies in the world (AT&T), but doesn’t it sound more practical to release such a service on a Friday? Like maybe the Friday before a long weekend so everyone can become familiar with your interface?
Anyways, HBO Max made a big splash mid-way through 2019 when they bought the streaming rights to the beloved classic 90s sitcom Friends, for $425 million. Yes, that is an insane, and outright outrageous amount of money for streaming rights to a television show. Here’s the kicker, with HBO Max acquiring Friends they also showed streaming service titan Netflix they are here to throw some weight, and cash around.
Netflix had to shell out $100 million just to keep streaming Friends until the end of 2019. For context, Netflix was paying $30 million a year for the rights to stream the show until then.
Reasons to Watch HBO Max
HBO Max is coming to take a large market share of streaming services where already established players like Netflix, Amazon, and Disney have already arrived to stake their claim to a piece of the pie.
Friends, and other cult favorites such as South Park, bring already built-in fans to the streaming service, which is fantastic and what gets people through the door. What makes people stay, however, is original content. Original content is where HBO became a powerhouse. That powerhouse that makes well over a billion dollars of income a year.
HBO has been a premium add-on to cable subscriptions since the dawn of time. What makes HBO worth the extra dollars spent each month is the original content it has been making for more than a decade. Original content such as Emmy winning The Sopranos, and Golden Globe-winning Curb Your Enthusiasm.
AT&T has already said they will provide $4 billion over the next 3 years for HBO Max. Some of the anticipated projects they have for original content sounds exciting, to say the least. From two new seasons of The Boondocks to a sci-fi series directed and produced by Ridley Scott named Raised By Wolves. This is also not to mention the Friends reunion special they have planned, which they have all the original main cast members already signed on for.
Variety has done a comprehensive list of other future projects planned for HBO Max. There surely seems to be something for everyone, including children. HBO already has Sesame Street still going strong. They also plan to have Looney Tunes available for children to enjoy, and for adults to bathe in the nostalgia.
Cost of Entertainment
HBO Max will be free for millions of AT&T customers who already have HBO through one of their plans. This is great for existing AT&T customers. For the people who are not AT&T customers, the subscription fee is $15 monthly.
This price point seems to be slightly above the market standard at this point. The Disney+ bundle that includes, ESPN+ and Hulu costs $13 monthly. The standard Netflix subscription which allows for two simultaneous streams costs $13 monthly also.
My Verdict
HBO Max has a ton of promise. Where Disney+ has stumbled (original content, churned out quickly), HBO Max seems to have plans to produce as much original content possible to make people see the value of their service.
Projects such as The Not-Too-Late Show with Elmo and Love Life– a scripted romantic comedy anthology starring Anna Kendrick- is scheduled to debut with the service on May 27th. HBO also has a slate of content scheduled for the fall of 2020.
The pandemic has put a stop to the production of some shows they had hoped to have done earlier, but we will see if HBO Max will be able to overcome it. Regardless, I’m excited about the streaming service and the original content they have planned.
