Fledgling streaming service HBO Max is definitely making impressive moves as it launched on Wednesday in the United States with all eight Harry Potter movies as part of its library.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the inclusion of the Harry Potter movies in HBO Max’s library came as a surprise as there was already an existing licensing deal with NBCUniversal that gave the broadcaster on-air and digital rights for the films until 2025.
However, a representative from WarnerMedia announced that the company was able to come to an agreement with NBC that allowed them to air the Harry Potter films on HBO Max. The deal does not stop NBCUniversal from airing the films on their linear channels as well.
Acquiring the rights to all eight Harry Potter films will definitely help HBO Max have a great start in the streaming business, as those eight films were incredibly popular as they were released from 2001 to 2011. Deadline reports that Warner Bros. earned a combined $7.7 billion from the films.
The Harry Potter films are as big a draw for HBO Max as the “Synder Cut” of the 2017 superhero movie, Justice League, which the streaming service will also be hosting. Production costs for the “Snyder Cut” will reportedly be in the range of $20 to $30 million
Other movies that interested subscribers will also find on HBO Max include films from the Alien franchise, the 2019 version of A Star Is Born, DC comic book films like Wonder Woman ad Aquaman, as well as the Lord of the Rings films.
HBO Max will also be streaming more than 20 seasons of The Bachelor as well as multiple international versions such as The Bachelor Australia, The Bachelor Canada, and The Bachelor New Zealand. Spin-off shows like The Bachelorette, Bachelor Pad, and Bachelor in Paradise will also be part of HBO Max’s library.
Coming up with a competitive library is certainly important for any fledgling streaming service especially since people are now increasingly turning to streaming for entertainment because of coronavirus-induced lockdowns. HBO Max will have to compete with services like Disney+, which has 50 million paid subscribers, and Netflix, which has 187 million paid subscribers.
With confirmed coronavirus cases not slowing down at the moment, streaming services just might find more and more people subscribing to them. As per the May 27 situation report of the World Health Organization, the world now has 5,488,825 confirmed COVID-19 cases. Fatalities caused by COVID-19 is now at 349,095.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s May 27 update states that there are now 1,678,843 confirmed COVID-19 cases in the country. There are now 99,031 people that have died from COVID-19.