Will HBO Max be worth the subscription?
The streaming industry is about to get very crowded very quickly. Will Warner Media’s HBO Max be worth the subscription when it debuts in 2020?
WarnerMedia’s streaming platform HBO Max is set to be released sometime in the spring of 2020. Like all of its competition, Warner’s executives are trying to build up as much quality content as possible. Some platforms will be more successful at this than others, but it’s possible none will have a more interesting “content war” challenge than HBO Max.
This is because it’s likely to price its service significantly higher than its competitors (expected to be $16-$17/month). Its quality and quantity of content will need to warrant the price. Here’s a look at some of the current and projected pricing of HBO Max’s competition.
Existing Platforms
Netflix – $11/month
Hulu – $8/month
Amazon Prime – $8.99/month or $99 per year
Upcoming Platforms
Apple TV+
Launch date: November 1st
Cost: $4.99/ month
Disney+
Launch date: November 12th
Cost: $6.99/month or $70/year, Disney is also offering a streaming bundle of Disney+, ESPN+, and the ad-version of Hulu for $12.99/month
Peacock
Launch date: April 2020.
Cost: TBD
At first glance, it seems hard to figure out how HBO Max will be able to compete with the lower-priced platforms. HBO has an extremely strong reputation for producing quality television, but the price is still difficult to swallow (especially with so many other options). Still, one has to imagine WarnerMedia has a plan, and it’s worth considering what the platform will have to offer.
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The new streaming service will include content from HBO, Cinemax, New Line, DC Entertainment, CNN, TNT, TBS, TruTV, Turner Classic Movies, and Cartoon Network. Some notable “old but new” content on the platform will include Friends, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Pretty Little Liars, Doctor Who, and The Big Bang Theory.
Plenty of new shows are in the works as well, including Stephen King’s The Outsider, Jordan Peele and J.J. Abrams’ horror series Lovecraft Country, Joss Whedon’s The Nevers, Julian Fellowes’ The Gilded Age, and David E. Kelley’s The Undoing. Down the road, it’s possible HBO Max will offer some live sports as well.
Conclusion
Just like the current HBO Go (and HBO Now), HBO Max is sure to offer plenty of high-quality content. Its lofty price will surely limit its market share, but WarnerMedia might be okay with this. In the crowded streaming market, its game plan might be to be the “prestige platform,” branding itself as offering the highest quality content (and as a result, bring in more subscribers than one might have guessed based on the high price).
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It remains to be seen if this will prove to be the case, but if it can convince enough consumers it is “#1” in content, it will distinguish itself from the rest, and its market-leading price may actually help to accomplish this. Whether or not it will actually have the best content remains to be seen, but its high price might make people assume this is the case. “If it’s the highest price, it must be the best, right?” This strategy could very well work.
Sources: Digital Trends and People