Warner Bros. 2021 Movies Won't Cost Extra On HBO Max
All of the Warner Bros. movies that are getting a same day release on HBO Max in 2021 won't come at an extra cost for subscribers to the service. Warner Bros. and HBO Max shook up the movie world in a big way on Thursday, by announcing that all 17 of WB's major 2021 releases will be getting a same day premiere in theaters and on HBO Max. It's one of the biggest shifts the industry has ever seen. As a result, rival studios like Disney, Universal and others are sure to follow suit now that WB has set a precedent.
The studio isn't the first to announce that a major blockbuster will get a streaming release first up, with Disney choosing to drop Mulan on Disney+ in September. However, it wasn't free to subscribers - they had to pay a fee of $29.99, dubbed "premier access" by the studio, for the privilege. That movie went on to make $33.5 million in its first weekend on Disney+, well below traditional box office numbers, but crucially far above expectations for debuts in the pandemic. While Disney has hinted they'll follow that model for future digital premieres, Warner Bros. is doing the opposite.
Along with the news that all of WB's 2021 movies will get released the same day on HBO Max as they will in theaters, HBO Max confirmed that they will come with no charge. In a tweet attached to the original announcement video, HBO Max reassured audiences that the movies, including major blockbuster releases like Dune, The Suicide Squad, The Matrix 4, Mortal Kombat and Godzilla vs. Kong, will all be available at no extra charges to subscribers. You can see the tweets below:
It's a sign that HBO Max believes slapping a premium fee on their movies will only alienate audiences rather than enticing them. It's also a sign that this release strategy, which WB claims is only for 2021, is partly a way to get HBO Max's subscriber numbers up. The streaming service can't compete with the likes of Netflix for subscribers at the moment, despite the draw of specials like the long-delayed Friends reunion.
The rationale, then, is likely that this news will encourage millions more Americans (the plan is only for the USA) to sign up for the service. By slapping a fee on top of HBO Max's already high subscription cost ($15/month), they'd likely only anger new subscribers, so the decision makes sense. For now, it's unclear whether the strategy will pay off for HBO Max, but if it does, expect other major studios, starting with Disney, to follow suit.
Source: HBO Max