Your favorite classic HBO TV show might be coming to Netflix soon
Insecure about who isn’t watching your shows, Warner?
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Netflix could become the new streaming home for a number of classic HBO TV shows, according toVarietyandDeadline.
The news outlets claim Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) is in talks withNetflixto bring a number of your favorite TV series, such as the Issa Rae-starringInsecure, to the world’sbest streaming service. Deadline further suggests veteran HBO staffers pushed back against the talks between WBD and Netflix, but were shot down over the finances involved in such a deal.
Per the duo’s reports, Netflix wouldn’t become the only place where audiences could streamInsecureand other WBD-developed shows. Titles would still be made available for viewing onMax, WBD’s new streaming platform that replaced HBO Max in late May, meaning Netflix wouldn’t have exclusive rights to air any HBO TV series. However, it would represent another big shift in the streaming landscape, especially where WBD’s stacked library of films and TV shows is concerned.
In January, HBO’s TV adaptation ofThe Last of Uswasmade available to stream on Prime Video In France. A few months later,Amazonalso announced it hadmade a licensing deal with WBD to bring a few of the latter’s forthcoming animated Batman seriesto its streaming service.
Those WBD-Amazon deals came before and after WBD reached similar agreements withRokuand Tubi, which became the new homes of other WBD-owned TV shows, such asRaised by Wolves,WestworldandThe Nevers.Those licensing agreements followed WBD’s purging of said series from HBO Max.
Clearly, then, WBD is open to licensing more of its content on other platforms. And with good reason, too, in the eyes of WBD CEO David Zaslav. The entertainment behemoth has been attempting to cut costs across various divisions in the past 12 months,which included the divisive cancelation of its near-completeBatgirlmovie. WBD has been trying to balance its finances further through the aforementioned licensing deals with streamers it previously considered to be major Max rivals.
It’s unclear which other HBO TV shows will join Netflix’s back catalog (or even if the report has any truth to it). However, with beloved and critically-acclaimed series includingThe Sopranos,Curb Your EnthusiasmandSex In The Citybeing made available on terrestrial and cable networks, such as A&E, TBS and Spike TV, it’s possible they could become fixtures on Netflix in the near future. If they do, expect ourbest Netflix showslist to receive a sizeable overhaul.
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A new battle emerges in the streaming wars
WBD isn’t the only company looking to balance the books where its streaming content is concerned.
Disney followed in WBD’s footsteps in April with the revelationit was pulling some of its own original TV series, includingWillow, from its main streaming services inDisney PlusandHulu. More removals are said to be on the way in the coming months as Disney also looks to rein in its spending habits. Themerging of Disney Plus and Hulu into a single super streamer by the end of 2023, plus the dismissal of 7,000 employees, are two moves that will reportedly help Disney cut costs across the board.
Elsewhere, Netflix andParamount Plushave joined Max in introducing new ad-based tiers, with the aim of attracting new users by way of cheaper subscription plans. Prime Video,which rolled out an ad-supported tier in India recently, is also expected to release its new cheaper tier plan worldwide in the months ahead.
The world’s streaming giants, then, are making a play to save and make money by any means necessary. If that means licensing content out on another service, so be it. If it means offering cheaper subscriptions to customers, then that’s what will happen too. It’s unclear which plan will succeed, but WBD and company are determined to restock their cash reserves however they can. We might have entered a new phase of the streaming wars, but the aim of its biggest platforms remains the same: make as much money as possible before the bubble implodes.
For more streaming-based coverage, read up on thebest Disney Plus shows,new Prime Video movies,best Max moviesandbest Hulu shows.
As TechRadar’s senior entertainment reporter, Tom covers all of the latest movies, TV shows, and streaming service news that you need to know about. You’ll regularly find him writing about the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Star Wars, Netflix, Prime Video, Disney Plus, and many other topics of interest.
An NCTJ-accredited journalist, Tom also writes reviews, analytical articles, opinion pieces, and interview-led features on the biggest franchises, actors, directors and other industry leaders. You may see his quotes pop up in the odd official Marvel Studios video, too, such as thisMoon Knight TV spot.
Away from work, Tom can be found checking out the latest video games, immersing himself in his favorite sporting pastime of football, reading the many unread books on his shelf, staying fit at the gym, and petting every dog he comes across.
Got a scoop, interesting story, or an intriguing angle on the latest news in entertainment? Feel free to drop him a line.
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