HBO and HBO Max Exceeds Their Own Subscriber Targets

 Unlike many streamers, it seems HBO and HBO Max left 2021 with a subscriber target that was not only met but surpassed. Blake & Wang P.A entertainment lawyer Brandon Blake has the data for us. 


                                                     Brandon Blake

74 Million Subscribers

With a subscriber total nearly brushing 74 million, there were 4.4 million added in the final quarter alone. This beats internal predictions, making HBO one of the few streamers to actually meet, let alone topple, their subscriber goals for 2021. 


Was WarnerMedia’s controversial day-and-date release strategy part of the lure? They will, of course, want us to believe that. For a streamer that launched in April 2020, with a very poorly handled launch crippled by the many mothballed programs it was relying on, it’s an impressive growth number whatever the reason. It will also give WarnerMedia the boost it needed in the wake of its restructuring around a streaming focus. 

Consistent Growth

It is also worth noting that the 2021 growth has been relatively consistent, without any particular peak or trough throughout the year. Consistent growth is always welcome. HBO Max also rolled out into Latin America and parts of Europe in 2021, pulling in solid international subscriber numbers. It finished 2021 with a good presence in 46 markets. Their international launches, it must be said, were far smoother than the crippled domestic launch.


The newer ad-supported tier was also added in 2021, with healthy adoption throughout all markets it is offered in. This should, in theory at least, allow them to continue to grow strongly through 2022, even as we see more people drop subscriptions as they head back to work. The subscriber growth also survived the removal of Amazon Prime Video’s channels from the service, a move that cost the company around 5 million subscribers. And the much-anticipated merger with Discovery currently underway doesn’t seem to have affected it either, yet.


Despite its rocky start, this makes HBO Max one of few streamers to see solid and consistent growth that surpassed benchmarks this year. It will be interesting to see what happens once the merger closes, anticipated for the middle of this year. We will, as always, keep you informed.


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