2018 will have been produced in the US alone for the 500 series. In the future, the respective annual yields are likely to be significantly higher, because all the major media and communications companies now build their empires once again significantly in terms of television and streaming, and they all compete with massive investment programs - the predatory cutthroat competition between Netflix, Amazon and all the others could move.
On November 1, Apple TV + will launch a number of new in-house productions worldwide, followed by the US launch of Disney + on November 12. As if to spoil the competition, the entertainment giant WarnerMedia launched details about its mega-platform HBO Max, which should be ready in May 2020 and voluminously equipped with series, movies and information programs.
There, the Group wants to bundle a large part of the offerings from its diverse portfolio. WarnerMedia, part of communications giant AT & T (total revenue in 2018: $ 189.7 billion), includes entertainment providers such as the Warner Bros. and New Line Cinema movie studios, TNT, Cartoon Network and influential news Transmitter CNN.
And then of course there is the style-forming station HBO, which gives the name of the new super portal. HBO had started the much-rewritten golden age of television with series such as "Sopranos," but also showed how epic, eye-candy storytelling works for the TV screen with materials like "Game of Thrones." Mass production is now supposedly tightened again drastically. In 2020, a good 30 series will be presented, in 2021 it should already be 50, including the prequel to the hit "Game of Thrones".
A new liberal mouthpiece?
HBO was completely reorganized for the realignment. This gives WarnerMedia the opportunity not only to join forces, but also to fine-tune content. This is not only true for the commercial orientation, but possibly also for the political.
HBO Max could position itself more foxally as well as factually as a liberal mouthpiece in the USA than before. Even with the HBO series "Succession", a satire about a voracious US media dynasty, these ambitions were clear: A news channel was heroically staged, which is very reminiscent of Warner's own station CNN. The major social upheavals and divisions in the US are thus also reflected in the local streaming reorganization.
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It is quite clear that not all major TV providers will survive at the end of the upcoming public-interest battle. Who should be able to afford five to ten subscriptions - especially since the trend obviously goes to the high-priced offer. HBO Max should cost $ 14.99. Customers of AT & T should receive preferential offers or free access.
In Germany, the platform will not be launched for the time being. According to the press release of the pay-TV broadcaster Sky, the first exclusive pay-out of HBO logo series is set to continue in Germany. Nevertheless, HBO will massively contribute to the diversification and dynamisation of the local TV market - and make life difficult for established streaming stars.
For example, Netflix, which also sees itself as a liberal mouthpiece, should now be even more complicated to defend itself against the competing competition. A simple comparison shows that Netflix did not even achieve a tenth of the turnover of WarnerMedia and AT & T last year. In order to compete against the new Goliath, the relatively small streaming pioneer has to work hard on his profile.
