CEO David Zaslav of Warner Bros. Discovery subtly hinted at low records for HBO Max users. The relatively new CEO of the studio may have just earned himself some controversy for his recent statement. Now it can be assumed that HBO Max will have a hard time fighting a declining drop in viewers as DC may sell its rights to another app!
David Zaslav Might Sell DC Non-exclusively
Up until now, most if not all of Marvel’s projects can be streamed exclusively on Disney+. As its DC counterpart, the DCU can be streamed only on HBO Max. Although HBO Max makes original series like Euphoria, House of the Dragon, and the likes, much of its viewership is through DC movies and projects.
David Zaslav recently attended a conversation hosted by RBC. The president of Warner Bros. Discovery talked about his hopes and aspirations for the future of Warner Bros. Discovery and DC, but stated some harsh facts as well.
Talking about streaming on HBO Max, Zaslav had some good news to share as they plan to introduce more original content to the platform for the people to enjoy. This deal, however, comes at a cost as DC may sell their projects non-exclusively to other streaming apps as well!
“We are right [now] sizing HBO Max — more content that people love, more original content. Our whole library went on HBO Max, and we weren’t selling any of it, but it was all on there. Now, all that could have worked, but we looked at it and we said: Most of this is not being watched. Or, we don’t think anybody is subscribing because of this. We can sell it non-exclusively to somebody else. Look at this huge library that we have.”
This may mean that HBO Max might face difficulties in the future if DC were to sell their streaming rights non-exclusively to other apps. Although HBO Max has gained much popularity through its original shows and series, the dream to rival Disney+ in terms of subscriber count and viewership seems to be in trouble.
David Zaslav’s WBD Lost $3 Billion Due To HBO
After painting an optimistic picture of Warner Bros. Discovery in the near future, David Zaslav also revealed some astounding figures that hinder the progress of Warner Bros. After hiring people, it was stated by the man himself that Warner Bros. Discovery lost $3 billion after spending a whopping $7 billion on content. The loss was reported after analyzing that it originated from the HBO side of the business at Warner Bros. Discovery.
In other reports, the CEO is also planning to launch a free yet ad-supported streaming service that will also use the name Warner Bros somewhere. Although there are no details revealed, it seems that many changes on HBO Max and in Warner Bros. Discovery will be observed over the coming years.
DC’s recently released Black Adam, helmed by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, and is running in theaters worldwide.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
