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jblanch3 t1_j09c2rg wrote

Reply to comment by Fodderinlaw in Inside Warner Bros. Discovery’s Latest Cost-Cutting Spree at HBO Max by johnppd

I wish I could. I got suckered into a one year subscription. This was back in October, and I thought this bullshit was in the rear view. Turned out fortune telling isn't my forte. The only thing that's giving me hope is The Last of Us. HBO Max is by far the worst streaming service I have, and not too long ago, it was at the top.

I mean, I don't mind so much that shows are getting cancelled, that's part of the territory unfortunately. But I have never seen a streaming platform just remove shows at the rate that this one is. And these are shows that they OWN. Movies and shows get shuffled around from one streaming service to another all the time, because another studio owns them. HBO Max is deep-sixing shows that they produced and aired over their streaming platform or on their cable service. It's like Netflix pulling Stranger Things.

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Haltopen t1_j0aj55g wrote

The fact that they locked people into year long subscriptions because they knew all this content removal was going to drive people to leave the service really says a lot about where their headspace is.

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admiralvic t1_j09ghf7 wrote

> I got suckered into a one year subscription.

I was in a subscription that, thankfully, ran out the day after the latest Harley Quinn season ended. When I saw the yearly subscription deal come back, coupled with a few positive things (Gunn's promotion, Quinn special, etc), I thought maybe I was too hasty, but ultimately decided to stick to my guns.

Really happy I did, as I really don't know what is going on, but I don't feel like HBO is the type of service I'll gladly pay just to support. It makes me sad, mostly because I no longer know what is going to happen, or if it will be even a shell of its former glory.

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strangway t1_j0awx3f wrote

I read an article saying Westworld was actually being removed from HBO Max. Canceling is a cost cutting measure. Removing is dumb, they own the show.

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Heavyspire t1_j0bbzgj wrote

In the article they explain that it looks better on the amortization charts for their balance sheets. Meaning the costs of keeping the show on the platform has a price tag and by removing them makes the money on the books look more attractive to investors.

I disagree with the way this company is going to be managed going forward and I highly doubt I will be renewing my subscription in 2023.

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dizzysn t1_j0buwgp wrote

They own the show, but they have to pay royalties to actors, license fees for music renewals, etc etc.

I don't like it, but keeping it there is costing them money.

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