HBO Max is one of many new streaming services gearing up for launch, and John Stankey – COO of parent company AT&T – has revealed the company’s strategy for rolling out the new platform in an interview with The Wall Street Journal.
The COO told the WSJ that the reason HBO Max was being priced at a higher rate than rivals such as Netflix, Disney+ and Apple TV+ was because HBO and WarnerMedia ‘took a record-setting number of Emmys’ and was of a high quality.
He also said that he wants the platform to be distributor friendly, so those who subscribe to HBO on regular TV currently will be able to easily sign up for HBO Max.
He described the HBO Max service as ‘an industry-leading high-quality theatrical offering’, and said that consumer studies had revealed people feel overwhelmed by the volume of scripted programming on the market, as it takes a significant time investment to engage in new content.
Stankey went on to say that when HBO Max is released and customers begin to buy it, it would be a proud day for him and the organisation. He said that there was ‘nothing better’ than people using your product, loving it and wanting to buy it, then recommending it to friends.
According to Cord Cutters News, WSJ’s full report details that Stankey commented on the pricing of his competitors, saying that Apple is able to provide a low cost for its streaming service as their hardware comes with a high cost. Furthermore, he said that as Disney is making money from Disney channels on cable, the low price of Disney+ would fit in with their business model.
