HBO Max HBO Max (Official Thread) (2 Viewers)

[Adam Lenhardt]

STATEMENT FROM WARNERMEDIA CEO JOHN STANKEY ANNOUNCING PLANS FOR DIRECT-TO-CONSUMER STREAMING SERVICE

October 10, 2018
“Today we announced plans to launch a new direct-to-consumer streaming service in the fourth quarter of 2019. This is another benefit of the AT&T/Time Warner merger, and we are committed to launching a compelling and competitive product that will serve as a complement to our existing businesses and help us to expand our reach by offering a new choice for entertainment with the WarnerMedia collection of films, television series, libraries, documentaries and animation loved by consumers around the world. We expect to create such a compelling product that it will help distributors increase consumer penetration of their current packages and help us successfully reach more customers.”

I looked for a thread on this but didn't find one; if there is one, please merge this in.

Former NBC president Kevin Reilly is spearheading the project. The service will be a separate subscription from the recently launched DC Universe streaming service.

They're talking about launching with 42,000 hours of content, much of it until recently licensed to other streaming platforms. HBO's older content will be on the service, and the expectation is that The CW deal with Netflix will not be renewed so all of the Warner shows on that network will instead go to the new service -- including the DC shows like "The Flash" and "Supergirl".

It's also expected that most if not all of Warner's films will be removed from the other subscription streaming services, and made available on the new service.

 

[Robert Crawford]

STATEMENT FROM WARNERMEDIA CEO JOHN STANKEY ANNOUNCING PLANS FOR DIRECT-TO-CONSUMER STREAMING SERVICE


I looked for a thread on this but didn't find one; if there is one, please merge this in.

Former NBC president Kevin Reilly is spearheading the project. The service will be a separate subscription from the recently launched DC Universe streaming service.

They're talking about launching with 42,000 hours of content, much of it until recently licensed to other streaming platforms. HBO's older content will be on the service, and the expectation is that The CW deal with Netflix will not be renewed so all of the Warner shows on that network will instead go to the new service -- including the DC shows like "The Flash" and "Supergirl".

It's also expected that most if not all of Warner's films will be removed from the other subscription streaming services, and made available on the new service.

They're confusing me with the DC Universe streaming service. Will the DC shows go to this service or the DC Universe streaming service.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

They're confusing me with the DC Universe streaming service. Will the DC shows go to this service or the DC Universe streaming service.

It sounds like it's going to be a mix: The DC shows that air on broadcast networks ("Arrow", "The Flash", "Gotham", "Supergirl", "Legends of Tomorrow", "Black Lightning", "Krypton", "iZombie", "Lucifer", "Preacher") will have a second-run home on the new Warner streaming service. The DC Universe originals ("Titans", "Young Justice: Outsiders", "Doom Patrol", "Swamp Thing", "Stargirl") will be exclusive to DC Universe.

 

[Walter Kittel]

Maybe it is just me, but it feels like they (the service providers) are just nickle and diming us to death. I guess there will be winners and losers in the streaming arena, and Warner does have enough content to make me consider this option. On the other hand, I have plenty to watch without adding another monthly charge to my budget.

- Walter.

 

[Bernard McNair]

Very keen to see how this service and Disney plus evolves.
I hope that they offer the services to people outside of the US and Canada.
I love classic film and art house cinema; these options are limited in Australian services.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

Maybe it is just me, but it feels like they (the service providers) are just nickle and diming us to death.

It's not just you. Eventually, the people who watch everything will add up the cost of their various streaming subscriptions, and it will cost more than a traditional cable package.

 

[Jake Lipson]

They're confusing me with the DC Universe streaming service. Will the DC shows go to this service or the DC Universe streaming service.

Regardless of how this shakes out, since they're both Warner, I bet there will be some sort of package deal where you can subscribe to both services for a reduced price.

 

[Sam Posten]

Dumb.

 

[David Weicker]

I wonder if some of the requested TV shows that are still awaiting WAC releases will be shown here?

Remaining seasons of stalled shows.

Shows with music rights (does streaming fall under the broadcast rules or home-video rules)

 

[Chip_HT]

I feel like this is going to be the tipping point for streaming, as the market is getting fragmented. The studios have to learn that outside of Disney, no one really cares about the studio logo attached to a movie or TV show.

 

[Todd Erwin]

I am a bit surprised that the CW shows would leave Netflix. It was that very deal that helped push the network into the black and saved it from eventually shutting down. Of course, in most minor markets, like Reno, the CW is on a sub-channel of a major network affiliate (KOLO 8, which carries ABC on its main channel 8.1 in HD, the CW on sub channel 8.3 in standard def). That channel will occasionally get screwed up in some form (although not as frequently as it did when the CW was on independent KRNS 46.3, which often broadcast the channel in Surf-vision), so thankfully we have the CW channel on Roku, which actually has better picture and sound, but has repetitive commercials.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Another article about this new streaming service.

https://www.mediaplaynews.com/warnermedia-streaming-service-eyeing-original-content-in-2020/

 

[dpippel]

I agree with others here - streaming is becoming way too fragmented with all of these various companies wanting their OWN pay services. The industry has the potential to become just as infuriating and customer-unfriendly as cable/satellite, and it looks like that outcome is well on its way to being realized. Screw 'em.

 

[JQuintana]

For now my plan for 2019 at least is to stick with Netflix (free), Hulu, and Disney+. I don't have plans to invest in the more fringe services that cater to more obscure movies.

 

[Randy Korstick]

Maybe it is just me, but it feels like they (the service providers) are just nickle and diming us to death. I guess there will be winners and losers in the streaming arena, and Warner does have enough content to make me consider this option. On the other hand, I have plenty to watch without adding another monthly charge to my budget.

- Walter.

I have been predicting this for awhile as Streaming eliminates cable and satellite they will gradually increase pricing and as more and more streaming services are created they will eventually band together with packages possibly through a provider. These packages will be similar to cable and satellite forcing you to buy other services to get the ones you want and pricing of these packages will be similar to cable. So basically streaming will become the new cable. After all they are all the same type of business looking to make maximum profits. So we need to enjoy the cheap streaming prices while they last.

 

[JQuintana]

Currently I think we pay $15 total for all our streaming options. Much nicer than the DirecTV bill of $100+ we used to have.

But yes, in time "ala carte" will probably start adding up and could be hitting cable pricing.

 

[Tory]

My hope is that once the studios each have their own service, they will fully exploit their back catalog of film and tv programs, making a lot of content previously unavailable accessible. I realize this is highly unlikely.

 

[SultanOfWhat]

The gist of the Warner Bros. streaming service was known after Filmstruck closed.

I wonder if Watch TCM (the streaming app on Roku that has about 100 free on-demand classic movies, which rotate every month or so) will still be able to host Warner's movie content.

I'll be happy paying for the new Criterion Channel, Warner Bros., Netflix for Blu-ray rentals, and maybe Disney+.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

There are a lot of things that I’d be willing to subscribe to on and off, picking up a subscription for a month, watching the content that interested me, and then canceling for a while until more content came out that appealed to me. There are fewer services that I’d subscribe to year-round.

 

[John*Wells]

I canceled by CBS AA Subscription but renewed it for the Star Trek content I wont go beyond that as I have Netflix and Hulu