Photo: ANP
Pay TV and streaming service HBO had 76.8 million customers at the end of the first quarter. That was an increase of 3 million customers over the end of 2021, parent company AT&T said in its first-quarter numbers report.
The influx was largely due to international expansion. For example, the streaming service HBO Max became available on March 8 in a number of European countries, including the Netherlands. It is impossible to conclude from the numbers how many new customers are coming from our country. AT&T makes no difference between HBO Pay TV customers and HBO Max streaming service. Geographically, the company only distinguishes between US and international customers.
Revenues from subscription services amounted to 4 billion dollars, or about 3.7 billion euros. In addition, HBO has earned $3.1 billion from licenses for its films and series, as well as from cinema receipts for its films and other licensing deals.
AT&T’s entertainment division saw significantly lower operating profit than the previous year. This was due to investments in HBO Max and the launch of the streaming news channel CNN+. According to various media reports, the last service is still far from successful.
AT&T, which is also a telecommunications company, saw a decline in sales and profits. This was caused by a few parts falling out in the last year.
The entertainment branch also separated from AT&T after the first quarter. WarnerMedia, as this segment was called, is merged with Discovery, which is behind Discovery Channel and Eurosport, among others. Warner Bros. Discovery officially launched earlier this month and now also has its own stock exchange in New York.
