CEO David Zaslav of Warner Bros. Discovery subtly alluded to low HBO Max user records. The studio’s relatively new CEO may have just earned some controversy for his recent statement. Now, we can assume that HBO Max will have a hard time fighting a waning drop in viewership because DC might sell its rights to another app!
David Zaslav could sell DC not exclusively
So far, most if not all of Marvel’s projects can be streamed exclusively on Disney+. Like its DC counterpart, the DCU can only be streamed on HBO Max. Although HBO Max makes original series like Euphoria, Dragon House, and the likes, much of its audience is through DC movies and projects.
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David Zaslav recently attended a conversation moderated by RBC. Chairman of Warner Bros. Discovery spoke about their hopes and aspirations for the future of Warner Bros. Discovery and DC, but also stated hard facts.
Speaking of streaming on HBO Max, Zaslav had some good news to share as they plan to bring more original content to the platform for people to enjoy. This deal comes at a cost though, as DC can also sell its projects non-exclusively to other streaming apps!
“We are right [now] scale HBO Max – more content people love, more original content. Our entire library went to HBO Max, and we weren’t selling any of it, but it was all there. Now, this all could have worked, but we looked at it and said: Most of this is unmonitored. Or, we think no one subscribes because of it. We may sell it non-exclusively to someone else. Look at this huge library that we have.
This may mean that HBO Max could run into trouble in the future if DC sells its streaming rights on a non-exclusive basis to other apps. Although HBO Max has grown in popularity through its original shows and series, the dream of rivaling Disney+ in terms of subscriber numbers and viewership seems to be in trouble.
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After painting an optimistic picture of Warner Bros. Discovery in the near future, David Zaslav also revealed some startling numbers that are hampering the progress of Warner Bros. After hiring people, it was stated by the man himself that Warner Bros. Discovery had lost $3 billion after spending $7 billion on content. The loss was reported after analyzing that it came from the HBO side of the business at Warner Bros. Discovery.
In other reports, the CEO also plans to launch a free but ad-supported streaming service that will also use the Warner Bros name somewhere. Although no details have been revealed, it seems that many changes on HBO Max and in Warner Bros. Discovery will be observed over the next few years.
DC recently released black adam, helmed by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, and touring theaters worldwide.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter