After more than a year of facing brutal cancellations and layoffs, HBO seems to be shifting its strategy under the leadership of Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav. According to Deadline, Warner Bros. Discovery is in talks to license HBO Original Series to Netflix, in a move that some of HBO’s old guard disagreed with but believe is necessary to improve the company’s financial performance. However, it’s important to note that this deal may not ultimately come to fruition.
The rumored show that would be the subject of this agreement is Issa Rae’s critically acclaimed series, “Insecure.” The show ran on HBO for five seasons until its conclusion in December 2021. If the deal goes through, it would not be an exclusive arrangement. Warner Bros. Discovery would still have the capability to showcase the series on its own streaming platform, Max.
While it is not uncommon for TV shows or films to air on multiple streaming networks, this potential deal would mark a significant move for Warner Bros. Discovery. Earlier this year, the company sold a package of canceled shows, including “Westworld” and the unaired episodes of the Joss Whedon series “The Nevers,” to free ad-supported television (FAST) networks such as Roku and Tubi. However, this would be the first major streaming deal since the company’s rebranding and relaunching of HBO Max as simply Max, which introduced a new pricing tier for 4K video.
It is worth mentioning that Warner Bros. has licensed its content to competitors in the past. For instance, back in 2014, the company licensed some of its biggest shows, including “The Sopranos” and “The Wire,” to Amazon Prime Video. However, this practice slowed down as streaming services aimed to establish their own exclusive content libraries.
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Last year, David Zaslav expressed that Warner Bros. Discovery was “open for business” and would prioritize its bottom line over securing more Max subscribers. The company acknowledged that it had a wealth of unused content which it intended to leverage for financial gain. CFO Gunnar Wiedenfels mentioned this approach during a Bank of America event, highlighting the readiness to monetize previously untapped resources.
The potential licensing deal also arises amidst recent controversies surrounding the relaunch of Max. Warner Bros. Discovery faced backlash when it hastily rolled out the rebranding, resulting in an embarrassing credits issue that upset striking WGA writers. The company was forced to issue an apology as the credits lumped all individuals, including writers and directors, under a single “creators” category. This incident drew negative attention and demonstrated the challenges faced during the transition.
While there may be reasons to criticize Zaslav’s approach, there are also advantages to seeing high-quality shows like HBO’s on multiple platforms. The hoarding of first-party content in exclusive streaming platforms has limited access to beloved series. Therefore, having the opportunity to enjoy these shows on different platforms can be seen as a positive development for fans.
In conclusion, the potential licensing of HBO Original Series to Netflix by Warner Bros. Discovery signifies a shift in strategy for HBO. The rumored show for this agreement is “Insecure,” and if the deal goes through, it would not be exclusive to Netflix. This move follows Warner Bros. Discovery’s recent rebranding efforts and highlights its willingness to pursue financial opportunities. While some may criticize this approach, it also opens up the possibility of enjoying HBO’s high-quality content on multiple platforms, providing greater accessibility for viewers.
