HBO Max is an upcoming on-demand project that is set to blend AT&T ($T), Warner Bros. ($TWX), the CW, BBC, TBS, TNT, truTV, Adult Swim, Cartoon Network, TCM, and CNN all under the HBO banner.
It can be hard to keep up with all the names and networks and IP collected by these mega corporate conglomerates, but all you need to know using alternative data is that AT&T WarnerMedia is bulking up to make HBO Max a major player in the streaming wars.
The last few years of HBO can be summed up with two things: Game of Thrones, and an increase in size due to the merger and subsequent purchase. Headcount rose from 4,000 to now 6,000 employees globally in the span of three years, and it'll only get bigger the closer we get to HBO Max's debut.
What's both interesting and not surprising is the noticable incline in followers when Game of Thrones premiered earlier this year, which is a rising tide that lifts all boats for HBO. As long as people don't actively unfollow the account, they can better utilize social media to promote its other shows, and yes, eventually the GoT spin-offs.
Since the streaming wars are a battle of both technology, economy, and intellectual property, it's going to be fascinating to see how HBO manages to deal with all of the added resources at its disposal as well as the burden of handling other shows and networks into the Max name. There's a possibility the traditional way HBO has operated (TV subscriptions, high prestige shows, catered and curated line-ups) will cease to be, and the brand could be watered down by the likes of The Big Bang Theory.
Really the main problem, outside of having to broadcast The Big Bang Theory to baby boomers for extra money, is having to compete with the following: Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, Disney+, Apple TV, Crackle, Vudu, Vue, Sling, YouTube TV, Fubo, Philo, ESPN+, Pluto, RedBox, Yahoo View, Tubi, Quibi, DC Universe, Shudder, CBS All Access, FX+, Twitch...
...and now Peacock.
NBC Universal's ($CMCSA) newest streaming video service is just the latest in a long and evergrowing list of things designed to subscribe to, forget you pay them money monthly, and never cancel because it's too much of a hassle. Since it was only announced this week, and has no other real information besides early plans for shows, there isn't any alternative data to dive into. At least, yet.
About the Data:
Thinknum tracks companies using information they post online - jobs, social and web traffic, product sales and app ratings - and creates data sets that measure factors like hiring, revenue and foot traffic. Data sets may not be fully comprehensive (they only account for what is available on the web), but they can be used to gauge performance factors like staffing and sales.