HBOMax Explained and Streaming Service 2022 Year End Review!

[Snarf Zagyg]

The weekly release is a sticky widget. I cant speak for the Japanese shows that Netflix is syndicating, but Amazon is terrible at this. I mean, every single series is just awful. They are not written or executed for a weekly release. There is no sense of a complete episode, stopping starting point, or how to pace the entire season. It's almost to the point I don't want to watch shows on Prime at all. HBO, though, is a master at writing for a weekly release. Each episode is written well from beginning to end. The season is paced well so that all the plot, exposition, and action are placed in a way that is exciting and makes sense. Netflix series can fall in between these areas but generally executes for the entire dump at once scheme. Either way, just execute your programming to what you plan to do please (are you listening Amazon????)

Sorry, I had to get that out.

So here's the thing.

I completely agree - this is the "watercooler effect" and is something that HBO has always been the master of. Providing shows that drop on a weekly basis and dominate the discourse while they are on (White Lotus being the most recent example of this).

This has the benefit of keeping a given media property "in the news" and "in the discourse" for a longer period of time. To contrast- Wednesday (to use the most recent Netflix hit) generates buzz for a week or two, while White Lotus generates buzz, and episode recaps, and articles, during all seven weeks of the run.

Thing is- people have known about this difference and asked why Netflix continues to drop shows like this for years; at most, they will drop shows in parts (like Stranger Things). But they remain committed to the binge model.

The question is- why? There are three possibilities-
1. Ignorance. Maybe they don't know any better? That's ... stupid. They have addressed it, and said that they just prefer the binge model.

2. Stupidity. Maybe they are doing it because they are stupid? Weirdly, this is the case with a lot of companies... they just ... do stuff. But Netflix is well-known for doing all sorts of things (the famous A/B testing) for determining how it will do things. So this is very unlikely.

3. Some reason. This has to be it- but the question is, why? By the way ... it might not even be correct. But why do they think they are correct? From my P.O.V., the only thing it can be is that they believe it keeps people on the platform.

 

[Umbran]

2. Disney+. (August: 2, November: 4).
...But the combination of the brand, the back catalog, the need for families with kids to subscribe, and the continued IP strength make Disney a player ... even if the eventual play is to sell off the streaming service to Apple.

Disney is not about to sell control of its back catalog to anyone else. The licensing deal they'd require, and the restrictions that they'd put to keep the service "brand safe" for their content, would be onerous for anyone else to operate.

 

[payn]

So here's the thing.

I completely agree - this is the "watercooler effect" and is something that HBO has always been the master of. Providing shows that drop on a weekly basis and dominate the discourse while they are on (White Lotus being the most recent example of this).

This has the benefit of keeping a given media property "in the news" and "in the discourse" for a longer period of time. To contrast- Wednesday (to use the most recent Netflix hit) generates buzz for a week or two, while White Lotus generates buzz, and episode recaps, and articles, during all seven weeks of the run.

Thing is- people have known about this difference and asked why Netflix continues to drop shows like this for years; at most, they will drop shows in parts (like Stranger Things). But they remain committed to the binge model.

The question is- why? There are three possibilities-
1. Ignorance. Maybe they don't know any better? That's ... stupid. They have addressed it, and said that they just prefer the binge model.

2. Stupidity. Maybe they are doing it because they are stupid? Weirdly, this is the case with a lot of companies... they just ... do stuff. But Netflix is well-known for doing all sorts of things (the famous A/B testing) for determining how it will do things. So this is very unlikely.

3. Some reason. This has to be it- but the question is, why? By the way ... it might not even be correct. But why do they think they are correct? From my P.O.V., the only thing it can be is that they believe it keeps people on the platform.

I think both have their own strategies, so one doesn't make more sense over the other. I think HBO kills the weekly release, and Netflix generally nails the total dump. Its Amazon over there that continually s#$s the bed on this.

 

[Umbran]

3. Some reason. This has to be it- but the question is, why? By the way ... it might not even be correct. But why do they think they are correct? From my P.O.V., the only thing it can be is that they believe it keeps people on the platform.

I know a lot of people who have, by preference, become "binge only" watchers. They will not watch a show on a weekly basis. If a service drops episodes once a week, they will wait until the season is done and watch it all at once.

I don't know how popular that pattern is, but I wouldn't doubt that Netflix does. Maybe Netflix have found that even if they aren't the majority of viewers, they make a loyal base of customers to work with?

 

[Cadence]

Had Amazon, Disney+, and Netflix. Added two this past month.

Peacock had the parade and dog show and was so inexpensive it was practically free for the month. Even though I had to hook my laptop up to watch it on the TV because my TV was made in 2016 and not 2017. Now I'm reminded to go cancel it. Thank you!

HBO-MAX had the Christmas Story Christmas which was surprisingly good. Also pretty cheap. I need to see if it is set up so that the kids choice doesn't need a password but the adult accounts do. Still not sure I'll keep it.

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

Disney is not about to sell control of its back catalog to anyone else. The licensing deal they'd require, and the restrictions that they'd put to keep the service "brand safe" for their content, would be onerous for anyone else to operate.

That's cute.

Disney is currently worth $172.57 billion. Of that capitalization, the profitable theme parks (which would have to be spun off and currently make billions every quarter) make up a sizeable chunk. Disney+, on the other hand, went from a $630 million loss to a $1.5 billion loss in the past year.

Apple is a company worth over $2.3 trillion (not a typo) dollars with enough cash and investments to technically buy all of Disney outright- without stock or financing.

They probably won't, for lots of reasons ... but let's not fool ourselves about what Disney will demand. There's a reason for the rumors ... but the likelihood of a deal not going through has nothing to do with Disney, and is instead because Apple is a company that has had a lot of opportunity to purchase large companies and has chosen to remain focused.

 

[Umbran]

That's cute.

Disney is currently worth $172.57 billion. Of that capitalization, the profitable theme parks (which would have to be spun off and currently make billions every quarter) make up a sizeable chunk. Disney+, on the other hand, went from a $630 million loss to a $1.5 billion loss in the past year.

Apple is a company worth over $2.3 trillion (not a typo) dollars with enough cash and investments to technically buy all of Disney outright- without stock or financing.

Well, that's actually the point. You were talking about selling the streaming service, only part of the business.

Disney has three elements of value - the vacation industry (parks and cruises), the catalog, and the merch. The merch is largely connected to the catalog. They cannot just sell that catalog and remain viable. They just can't. They would have to put onerous restrictions on access to that catalog, because otherwise they lose viability as a company.

Someone buying them outright is another matter entirely. Then, they don't have to worry about remaining viable after the sale.

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

Well, that's actually the point. You were talking about selling the streaming service, only part of the business.

Disney has three elements of value - the vacation industry (parks and cruises), the catalog, and the merch. The merch is largely connected to the catalog. They cannot just sell that catalog and remain viable. They just can't. They would have to put onerous restrictions on access to that catalog, because otherwise they lose viability as a company.

Someone buying them outright is another matter entirely. Then, they don't have to worry about remaining viable after the sale.

The general gist (if you follow trades)* is that Apple would buy Disney in toto, then spin off the non-content portions (specifically the "Parks, Experiences and Products") and also look to streamline the content portions (spinning off the Linear Networks ... aka, Cable, while keeping "DTC" aka Disney+ and the studios).

Again, none of this has to do with Disney's wants or desires. Big fish, Gigantic Fish. It's more a question of whether or not the gigantic fish is even interested, or if this is something that Iger might have floated prior to coming back.


*Again, it should be obvious from what I wrote that I was referencing ... you know ... what people are talking about. But thanks.

 

[pukunui]

I know a lot of people who have, by preference, become "binge only" watchers. They will not watch a show on a weekly basis. If a service drops episodes once a week, they will wait until the season is done and watch it all at once.

I know some people like that too. There’s definitely a split between those who binge and those who prefer to be drip-fed.

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

I know some people like that too. There’s definitely a split between those who binge and those who prefer to be drip-fed.

Honestly, I am at that point. I waited until this week to binge on White Lotus. And I will usually wait until a given Disney MCU/Star Wars show is almost over until I start it.

I prefer to watch shows in chunks. Probably because I have the retention and attention span of a small, easily distracted rodent. Look, cheese!