Will Netflix absorb HBO Max and HBO series after merger with Warner Bros.? ?
Would the new group have an interest in keeping two competing streaming platforms? For now, there is no question of sacrificing HBO…
It’s a historic deal that raises a thousand questions for the future of the entertainment and streaming industry.
An $83 billion deal to buy Warner Bros., its film and TV studios… and also HBO and HBO Max. Obviously, current subscribers of the streaming network created in 2020 by Warner Bros. wonder: what will become of their platform? Will HBO Max disappear?
Obviously, for Netflix, the temptation will be great to merge with HBO Max to create a sprawling platform bringing together the cult franchises of the two giants, which spans from Game of Thrones to Stranger Things, from Friends to Wednesday.
But for now, the answer is no.
When announcing the deal, Netflix clarified that HBO Max will remain an independent app, while confirming the gradual arrival of HBO content in the Red N’s own catalog. A strategy confirmed by David Zaslav (CEO Warner Bros. Discovery) during a major internal meeting: “HBO Max will stay.”
There is therefore no question of touching the prestigious HBO brand. At least for the moment.
So on the subscription side, no change in sight. Knowing that, in any case, the acquisition has not yet been confirmed by the American authorities. A process that could last more than a year.
Which HBO series on Netflix?
If the validation is confirmed, we will quickly wonder which HBO licenses will be used on Netflix. For example: Friends! The cult sitcom has long been in the heyday of the streaming leader, who rented the series to Warner Bros. at a high price… until the studio decided to bring Chandler and his friends back to HBO Max, to boost its launch. In France, it’s been a year and a half since Friends has been off Netflix and already, Red N subscribers are crossing their fingers, saying that the new owner of Central Perk will eventually bring Friends back into his fold. And possibly others.
Moreover, even before this acquisition, Netflix had already acquired several HBO and HBO Max series for its American catalog (such as Ballers, Six Feet Under, Sex and the City or True Blood). But nothing in France for example. This will be possible when the merger is finalized.
So will there be the complete Sopranos and Game of Thrones on Netflix in two years? In these conditions, what is the point of keeping two platforms?
The future is still undecided. Officially, Netflix is keeping its line: two separate platforms, but a massive contribution of HBO content to the Netflix app. Unofficially… hard to imagine it staying like this forever.
Netflix is targeting $2 billion to $3 billion in savings within three years after the acquisition is finalized. An economy of this magnitude very often requires a single platform – as Disney is gradually integrating Hulu into Disney+.
In the long term, it is therefore very possible that HBO will become a simple tab in Netflix, and that HBO Max will eventually disappear. With, obviously, an increase in price…
