Reality check on that HBO deal

Warners and HBO are planning a huge push of titles into streaming, determined to stake out a dominant position in a volitile new market

What does it mean?

Internet analysis is leaning in a certain direction on this mega-deal that puts all of Warners' 2021 output onto TV screens at the same time there's supposed to also be a movie theater release. Here's the list of "why now" and "what does it mean?":

1. The Streaming Wars makes it necessary for HBO Max to pull off a winning setup as soon as possible because they're lagging on new content, and with Disney Plus racking up huge numbers (by way of deals that give away 'free' Disney-Plus accounts all over the place) and with Netflix and Amazon Prime already established, HBO Max is in a precarious position of being destined to be a secondary (and less money-making) service.
2. USA movie theater chains are looking at a suicide pact if they go in on subscribing to a joint-release strategy (HBO Max doesn't operate outside of the USA). Many internet comments predict the theater chains will not go along with this and will keep Warners' movies off their screens, and only smaller chains or mom-and-pop theaters will take a shot at running their films.
3. The move by HBO Max and Warners' will force Disney to act, probably pushing Black Widow (and who knows what else) onto Disney-Plus screens sooner than expected.

Original Page December 2020