Old Brands, New Spaces: Can TV Favorites Conquer Streaming?
As streaming becomes the go-to entertainment service, do the familiar names in TV spaces still have the audience-pulling equity they once did? And do audiences even care? That’s a question that’s been occupying headlines since HBO announced it is returning the HBO brand to its flagship Max streamer. We have our expert entertainment lawyer Los Angeles at Blake & Wang P.A., Brandon Blake, to offer his insight.
The Power of (the Perception of) Quality
Many were surprised when HBO made the announcement that, a mere 2 years after rebranding their streaming platform to Max, they would be rolling back the clock and returning to the HBO brand name. Their reasoning was that the HBO brand itself has long been associated with premium, quality TV, and they want to build the same brand perception across their streaming arms.
It’s a notable U-turn in strategy for them, yes. However, does it point to something
bigger in the entertainment landscape as well? Namely, do audiences still care
for “brand-pull,” perhaps even more so than they care about content?
Linear Brands Still Matter
Judging by this year’s Upfronts, at least, they
may well be right. We’re even seeing several notable old-school TB brands drop
the once-default “+” from their streaming platforms, with both CNN and Disney’s
newly-announced ESPN streaming service choosing to keep the core brand front
and center.
Linear TV may be in decline, but the brand power it built is a different story
entirely. With or without their cable channels, many of these brands still have
immense recognition, and thus pulling power, among modern audiences. It seems
we could be looking ahead to a year where, even if legacy linear brands have to
find a new home, they’ll be taking their brand loyalty with them as they gain
digital footholds. And honestly? That may not be a bad thing, even if it is
making the “new” streaming era look a lot like the old Pay TV days.
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