HBO Max could hit 50 million U.S. subscribers in first 5 years: AT&T
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HBO is set to roll out its streaming service, HBO Max, early next year. And AT&T Chief Executive Officer Randall Stephenson said on the company’s quarterly earnings call that the service could reach a whopping 50 million U.S. subscribers in its first five years.
AT&T is the parent company of WarnerMedia Entertainment, which owns HBO.
Netflix currently has about 60 million U.S. subscribers and Hulu has 25 million. Each service, though, has said it will continue to add content to draw in more viewers.
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HBO Max is expected to cost around $15 a month, right in line with top brands like Netflix, at $13 per month for its standard plan, and Hulu, at $12 per month. The platform will join an increasingly competitive field. Apple and Disney are launching platforms as well. Disney is forecasting 60 million to 90 million worldwide subscribers by 2024.
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But Stephenson is optimistic.
“This is a product that’s going to be very different from any other product you’ve seen in the market so far,” he said. “This is not Netflix, this is not Disney. This is HBO Max. It’s going to have a very unique position in the marketplace.”
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In addition to original content, the service will air iconic favorites like “Friends” and a “Grease” spinoff series, as well as content from TBS and other big brands. HBO Max also plans to offer free streaming to AT&T customers who subscribe to HBO.