Is HBO then the killer of Netflix? The number of subscribers continues to increase

As Netflix loses subscribers for the first time since 2011, people are once again wondering if the streaming service will also be dethroned at some point. Netflix is ​​currently still the biggest streaming service with 221.6 million subscribers.

Many new streaming services have launched in recent years, one of the latest being HBO Max. This streaming service has also been available in the Netherlands since March 8, 2022.

HBO Max
HBO Max is an American streaming service and is owned by WarnerMedia. The streaming service is now also part of the merged company of WarnerMedia and Discovery, called Warner Bros. Discovery.

HBO Max launched in the United States on May 27, 2020. The streaming service offers (among other things) movies and TV series from WarnerMedia.

Increase the number of subscribers
The number of subscribers to HBO and HBO Max increased by 3 million in the first quarter of 2022. However, it is unknown how many of these subscribers are from HBO Max, as the company only mentioned the combined number.

According to quarterly figures from the parent company (and shareholder) AT&T, the number of subscribers to HBO and HBO Max increased by 12.8 million in 1 year. The total number of subscribers is now 76.8 million, of which 48.6 million are from the United States.

Europe
In America, the number of subscribers increased by 4.4 million in one year. This means that outside the United States, the number of subscribers to HBO and HBO Max increased by 8.4 million.

This is not surprising, as HBO Max has also been introduced in several countries in Europe. Since March 8, the Netherlands has been one of the fifteen European countries where HBO max is available.

Competition
HBO and HBO Max could be tough competition for Netflix and Disney+ – the two biggest streaming services right now. Netflix has over 221.6 million subscribers and Disney+ is approaching 130 million.

As a streaming service, HBO Max is less than 2 years old and is already approaching 80 million subscribers. If growth continues in the same way as last year, HBO Max could grow significantly every year – but whether that will actually happen remains to be seen.