WarnerMedia Announces New Streaming Service HBO Max

[Tsing]

WarnerMedia has unveiled its Netflix competitor, HBO Max. The new streaming service will launch in spring of 2020 and woo potential subscribers with popular shows such as Friends, which is now a Max exclusive.

HBO Max will premiere with 10,000 hours of content, which isn't surprising. WarnerMedia holds Warner Bros., New Line, DC Entertainment, CNN, TNT, TBS, truTV, The CW, Turner Classic Movies, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, Crunchyroll, Rooster Teeth, Looney Tunes, and more under its extensive umbrella.

“HBO Max will bring together the diverse riches of WarnerMedia to create programming and user experiences not seen before in a streaming platform. HBO’s world-class programming leads the way, the quality of which will be the guiding principle for our new array of Max Originals, our exciting acquisitions, and the very best of the Warner Bros. libraries, starting with the phenomenon that is ‘Friends,’” said Robert Greenblatt, chairman, WarnerMedia Entertainment and Direct-To-Consumer.

 

[Azrak]

In the old days of cable TV, there were bundles. You could not get your favorite station without getting other, useless stations that you never watch, but paid for.
In the new days of streaming services, there are studio-divided service subscriptions. You cannot get your favorite shows without getting other, useless shows that you never watch, but paid for.
Different platform, same players. And you, the consumer, must pay or live without.
I choose to live without.

 

[Dan_D]

Oh goody another streaming service. Before you know it, we'll all have a streaming service bill that's equal to the cable bills of the old days. What makes that worse will be the 23 different usernames and passwords we will need to access them.

 

[xGryfter]

I think we should round up every CEO to every major studio and streaming service, lock them all in a small cage and leave them there until they can come to an agreement on a single all encompassing streaming service that allows us to choose our own favorite networks for a reasonable price. Worst case scenario, we get a single kickass streaming service. Best case scenario, we get rid of some of the worlds greediest douche bags.

 

[Grimlakin]

The CEO's are beholden to the stock holders or owners to make the most money and not break the law. (At least that is how a lot of them see it today.) As I work for a company that has been public, private, then public again. I much prefer existing as a private company so we can do the right thing by our customers as long as we are making a profit. Going public constricts the purse strings a lot.

 

[Brian_B]

I would consider it if they publish the old, racist, completely politically incorrect versions of Looney Tunes

Other than that, I can see them just dumping this crap into the existing HBO Now / HBO Go machine, doubling the subscription fee, and calling it a day.

 

[Peter_Brosdahl]

I think the first person with the right connections to pull off a good package deal service will become richer than Bezo within 10 years.

 

[Peter_Brosdahl]

As a birthday gift to myself I got the DC streaming service a little while back. Wife and I have loved it so far. Now I have to wait to see how the dust settles from this to see what Warner is going to do with it. More than a little worried.