HBO Max Hits 28.7 Million Subscribers, But Not All Of Them Are Watching
By Hoai-Tran Bui/Oct. 23, 2020 7:30 am EST
In an earnings report on Thursday (via The Verge), WarnerMedia revealed that 8.6 million customers have activated their HBO Max subscriptions in the third quarter, bringing the total number of new HBO Max subscribers to 28.7 million. The total of HBO and HBO Max customers has hit 38 million, with 57 million globally, surpassing the company’s goal for the end of 2020. Ultimately, AT&T aims for HBO Max to have 50 million U.S. subscribers by 2025.
But these impressive numbers come with a provision: AT&T counts “activations” as well as subscribers.
Five months after its launch, HBO Max is still trailing its competitors in subscription numbers. Disney+ has about 60 million subscribers, while Netflix has nearly 195.2 million subscribers. HBO Max is still the priciest streaming service, but its plans to launch a cheaper ad-supported tier next year may help draw new subscribers in.
However, in terms of new streaming platforms, HBO Max is doing pretty well, considering one of its competitors recently bit the dust (RIP Quibi). Having recently activated my own account, I find that HBO Max probably has the best collection of library titles, thanks to its Warner Bros., Criterion, and HBO archives. It’s frustrating the rollout for HBO Max has been so janky, but hopefully it’s just growing pains for a promising streaming platform.
