[morac]

Damn. Westworld. I keep forgetting to watch Season 4. Thx. Lol

According to the earning call, the new service won’t launch till next summer, so you have time.

 

[Rob Helmerichs]

So Discovery isn’t even breaking out the subscriber numbers between HBOMax and Discover+ now. They are saying they gained 1.7 million subscribers.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1555289691246714880

Hell, they're not even breaking down numbers between HBO Max and HBO!

 

[morac]

Hell, they're not even breaking down numbers between HBO Max and HBO!

Well to be fair AT&T never did that either.

 

[tim1724]

So they're combining the two (what everyone has predicted since before the merger) and they're going to use the tech behind the Discovery+ app. I've never used the Discovery+ app but the HBO app has had a lot of problems across many platforms, so it makes sense to me to abandon that if the Discovery+ app works.

 

[morac]

So they're combining the two (what everyone has predicted since before the merger) and they're going to use the tech behind the Discovery+ app. I've never used the Discovery+ app but the HBO app has had a lot of problems across many platforms, so it makes sense to me to abandon that if the Discovery+ app works.

They are combining them, but they made it clear that the new streaming service (which they called SVOD) is just part of their plan.

It sounds like the idea of going to one streaming service for all your WB needs like it now is basically dead. They basically stated on the call that they are not going to follow the Disney+ model, without naming names.

They said they plan to make some of their content available on other services, which has already happened as things have been disappearing off HBOMax lately. One of the big franchises they mentioned on the call, Harry Potter, is moving to Peacock.

Then there’s the free ad-based service they are making on the lines of Pluto or Crackle.

 

[Steveknj]

They are combining them, but they made it clear that the new streaming service (which they called SVOD) is just part of their plan.

It sounds like the idea of going to one streaming service for all your WB needs like it now is basically dead. They basically stated on the call that they are not going to follow the Disney+ model, without naming names.

They said they plan to make some of their content available on other services, which has already happened as things have been disappearing off HBOMax lately. One of the big franchises they mentioned on the call, Harry Potter, is moving to Peacock.

Then there’s the free ad-based service they are making on the lines of Pluto or Crackle.

Just what we need MORE confusion in the streaming world. A combined app is great, syndicating (as it were) various well known WB owned entities to other services is how it's been done for years, but again, adds to the confusion (Where do I watch THIS WB show?) Are they still doing scripted material for HBO proper?

Yeah, get off my lawn, but to me, watching TV over the last 10 years has gotten so complicated that it's impossible to even find ALL the content anyone could watch. These companies are forgetting the KISS method. Keep it simple stupid. It's far from that now.

 

[Saturn_V]

Grace Randolph has a good breakdown, if you can stand her persona/voice. (I kinda like it, reminds me of Rona Barrett from the 70s)

TLDW, HBOMax is being gutted personnel-wise; the service will be re-branded (yet to be named) and they're prioritizing theatrical releases over OTT-content.

 

[Steveknj]

Her voice is VERY annoying. Basically she told me nothing that I didn't find out by reading a couple of general articles on the subject and that anyone who knows anything about TV and follows this stuff would surmise. I don't think she told us anything new and interesting....And I just sat through 20 minutes or so of fingers on a chalk board.

 

[MikeekiM]

Her voice is VERY annoying. Basically she told me nothing that I didn't find out by reading a couple of general articles on the subject and that anyone who knows anything about TV and follows this stuff would surmise. I don't think she told us anything new and interesting....And I just sat through 20 minutes or so of fingers on a chalk board.

I like Grace Randolph... Yes, her voice is a bit grating... But she does know her stuff... She's in the industry as a comic writer herself, and she always has fair insights on her reviews of the various movies and series content...

 

[MikeekiM]

My annual $149.00 renewal is coming up on August 9th...

Trying to figure out if I want to commit to the year, and save the 20%... Or go month to month...

I know that I want to finish up Westworld S4 (which I am really enjoying)... And I definitely want to watch the Game of Thrones prequel series...

I cancelled my annual subscription this morning... Too much uncertainty for me to confidently prepay for a full year...

I may end up subbing monthly...and may go with the limited ads version to keep my costs down...

But for now... I am out...

 

[aaronwt]

Funny reading that article and them talking about watching an old movie with ads, like it's something new and quaint!! I have been watching movies like that for more than 50 years!

I specifically will not watch it if there are Ads. I stopped watching the advertisements in the 80's. When I started time shifting my TV watching. And I have no desire to go back to the way I watched TV in the 70's and first half of the 80's.

 

[aaronwt]

'97,....2007, what the heck, I'm old. Point is, I've had Netflix a longtime and now I had to cancel them because they weren't entertaining me.

Netflix is the one service(and I guess Amazon too because of free shipping) that I am the least likely to cancel. Because there is so much content on Netflix that I will never be able to watch all the content I want. My Netflix list is consistently above 150 titles. I will never be able to watch it all. And I keep adding more and more titles each quarter.

 

[astrohip]

Unless I missed it, nowhere in his presentation did he talk about killing all the HBO-MAX scripted series, as was rumored.

 

[cwoody222]

Unless I missed it, nowhere in his presentation did he talk about killing all the HBO-MAX scripted series, as was rumored.

No, but he strongly implied he doesn’t believe in the ROI of original streaming scripted content.

 

[astrohip]

No, but he strongly implied he doesn’t believe in the ROI of original streaming scripted content.

Thanks for that, I missed it. I did see his comments on feature films, something like we're never making a streaming only film again, only theatrical releases (I think I have that correct). I need to go back and read closer.

 

[realityboy]

Unless I missed it, nowhere in his presentation did he talk about killing all the HBO-MAX scripted series, as was rumored.

It looks they’re spending more, not less.

Warner Bros. Discovery To “Spend Dramatically More” On HBO/HBO Max & “Lock Up” Majority Of Casey Bloys’ Top Team

Warner Bros. Discovery is doubling down on HBO and HBO Max. Speaking of HBO & HBO Max Chief Content Officer Casey Bloys and his team, WBD President and CEO David Zaslav revealed that “we&…

deadline.com

 

[morac]

It looks they’re spending more, not less.

Warner Bros. Discovery To “Spend Dramatically More” On HBO/HBO Max & “Lock Up” Majority Of Casey Bloys’ Top Team

Warner Bros. Discovery is doubling down on HBO and HBO Max. Speaking of HBO & HBO Max Chief Content Officer Casey Bloys and his team, WBD President and CEO David Zaslav revealed that “we&…

deadline.com

Spending more on less. Basically going for quality over quantity. No more streaming movies. All movies will only go to theaters.

 

[realityboy]

Spending more on less. Basically going for quality over quantity. No more streaming movies. All movies will only go to theaters.

That would seem to favor the scripted shows over the non-scripted. I’m not sure any of the HBO Max movies really made an impact. Even mediocre movies do gain some prestige by opening in theaters. Batgirl should’ve been a theatrical release all along.

I do wonder what this means for the DC animated movies. They’re not Max originals, but they’re not theatrical releases either.

(Also dreading the new Discovery overlords eventually realizing that their company still publishes comics.)

 

[DouglasPHill]

Spending more on less. Basically going for quality over quantity. No more streaming movies. All movies will only go to theaters.

I can't imagine this lasting more than a year. Americans viewing habits have changed. We don't go to theaters like the old days. For me the choice of going to the theater to see a movie or just not seeing it; not seeing it wins out.

 

[morac]

I can't imagine this lasting more than a year. Americans viewing habits have changed. We don't go to theaters like the old days. For me the choice of going to the theater to see a movie or just not seeing it; not seeing it wins out.

I’m not sure WBD will care since they will make more money with this model.

The movies will eventually end up on streaming, it will just take awhile. It will be like the old model where it goes to theaters, then for sale on Bluray & VOD, then to whatever service pays the most of tier-1 viewing (HBO, Starz, etc) and finally the new streaming service. Instead of seeing it immediately or after 45 days, you may have to wait a year.

A good example of how this will work is Spider-Man No Way Home. It wasn’t available on a subscription service until in the last month or two and it’s now on the Starz premium channel. It’s still not on any streaming only service and won’t be till next year, over a year after it was released to theaters.

Also people are still going to movie theaters. It’s usually packed any time I go. By bypassing all that and going directly to streaming WBD would be giving up a lot of revenue, which is really all they care about.

The days of WB movies showing up in 45 days on streaming is over.