Julia Stoll
Research expert covering TV and video media
Max - statistics & facts
Max, the relaunched hybrid video streaming platform which has combined content from HBO and Discovery+ in May 2023, belongs to the most well-known and most popular video streaming services worldwide. Owned by Warner Bros. Discovery – a merger of WarnerMedia and Discovery, Inc. – the combined number of subscribers to HBO, HBO Max, and Discovery+ peaked in the first quarter of 2023 at over 97 million.
Apart from existing offerings, Warner Bros. Discovery announced the production of several new original series arriving exclusively on Max, including “The Batman” spinoff “The Penguin,” the new GoT spinoff “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight,” as well as a new “Harry Potter” adaptation as a TV series based on all seven books. With Max providing ad-supported and ad-free versions priced between 10 and 20 U.S. dollars per month, more varied and larger program choices, and further new own productions to come, the provider is likely to gain an even more prominent position within the video streaming landscape.
Unique selling points
The company formerly Home Box Office, better known as HBO, was founded in 1972, and much of its popularity could be attributed to the variety of original programming that has helped HBO distinguish itself from other subscription television and on-demand networks. Perhaps the most well-known HBO series is "Game of Thrones," based on a series of fantasy novels by George R.R. Martin, which aired its eighth and final season in 2019. As of 2022, “Game of Thrones” was the program with the second highest amount of Emmy Award wins of all time, racking up 59 trophies in total. The last award shows have also been quite profitable for HBO. At the 2023 Golden Globe Awards, the network won four trophies with shows like the GoT spinoff “House of the Dragon” and comedy drama series “The White Lotus,” making it the most successful network that year.From a brand targeting mature audiences to a platform for everyone
While HBO Max focused on and was known for its dramas and comedies aimed at adults, Discovery+ provided their customers with reality TV shows and documentaries. With the combination of both services into one, consumers now have access to a larger library of higher quality content, as well as a comprehensive mix of scripted and unscripted shows and films. According to a recent analysis, the top genres on the new service include documentaries, dramas, reality shows, and comedies. Furthermore, Max will move towards providing children’s content – close to nine percent of programs on the platform is expected to be for families.Apart from existing offerings, Warner Bros. Discovery announced the production of several new original series arriving exclusively on Max, including “The Batman” spinoff “The Penguin,” the new GoT spinoff “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight,” as well as a new “Harry Potter” adaptation as a TV series based on all seven books. With Max providing ad-supported and ad-free versions priced between 10 and 20 U.S. dollars per month, more varied and larger program choices, and further new own productions to come, the provider is likely to gain an even more prominent position within the video streaming landscape.
