When HBO Max launched in May 2020, the streaming platform provided the combined best of its predecessor, HBO, Warner Bros., and additionally incorporated television shows, blockbuster movies, and Max Originals. The service received by the subscribers was exceptional in terms of the quality of content. In the two years that HBO Max has existed, it has made headlines for its groundbreaking audience reach and lucrative original shows.
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HBO Max to Kick Several Originals Off the Platform
The standalone streaming platform has been known for its incredible host of series favorites. However, in the aftermath of AT&T’s merger with Discovery, the newly minted Warner Bros. Discovery is taking the initiative to make several radical and unorthodox changes throughout its subsidiaries. And that includes production juggernauts like Warner Bros. alongside streaming services like HBO Max.
The CEO and President of Warner Bros. Discovery, David Zaslav, under whose wing HBO Max now operates, has stepped foot inside the company with plans that define the long-term vision for the same. And as such, shows like Mao Mao, Infinity Train, Ellen’s Next Great Designer, and OK KO (to name a few) are leaving HBO Max this very week, along with numerous other Max Originals.
Internet Rains Criticism at WBD Chief David Zaslav
The head honcho, David Zaslav, has not made the decision to be the CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery lightly. He came in with guns blazing and one of the very first decisions he executed was to shelve the $90 million DCEU film, Batgirl. The cancellation not only faced angered reception but Zaslav was called out for making a decision in bad faith and has even been called an imbecile by a member of the cast and crew of Batgirl.
Here’s how Twitter has been reacting to the recent announcement of the booting of Max Originals from its own platform.
Even before overtaking responsibility of WarnerMedia, the CEO had been in charge of Discovery and that platform received a somewhat similar treatment as well. The television channel that was originally known for its nature documentaries or children’s shows became filled with reality tv and entertainment programs that spelled the downfall of one of television’s best channels.
On the other hand, the merger of WarnerMedia and Discovery was a business deal made to be profitable and given the slew of radical changes being made at the company, one can only wonder whether these decisions are not made keeping in mind the survival of the company’s future.
Source: Twitter