We have to let things go after a point even when we want to hold on to them forever. The HBO network’s most popular show of the last decade, Game of Thrones bid us goodbye before the advent of the 2020s. Although there’s no need to drop GoT from our memories, the audiences have begun to look forward. With the launch of WarnerMedia’s streaming service platform HBO Max on May 27, new horizons have come upon. The most popular show on HBO Max within the first four days of its launch was not Game of Thrones or other adult hits such as The Sopranos or Sex and the City. It was Looney Tunes Cartoons, which was followed by The Not-Too-Late Show with Elmo on the second spot; both aimed at kids. Read on to find out more.
Looney Tunes Cartoons is an animated web TV series; created as a reboot from the characters of the classics, Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies (from the 1930s-1960s). It premiered on May 27, 2020, along with the debut of HBO Max. Parrot Analytics, a global data firm, estimates the most popular shows in terms of social media, fan ratings, and piracy. The stats for the shows on HBO Max told us that Looney Tunes drew a demand that was 19.4 times higher than an average show.
This was more than the demand for the top shows of Quibi and Apple TV+; within the first four days of their respective launches. But the interest pales in comparison to Disney+’s The Mandalorian, which had generated an interest of 46.1 times higher than an average show; when it debuted in November 2019. At the end of the first week of HBO Max, Love Life (a rom-com anthology series) took the second spot after Looney Tunes Cartoons; with a demand of 9 times more than an average show.
The report by Bloomberg hints that the latest trends on HBO Max suggest a necessary diversification in terms of the audience demographic. HBO has produced some great, premium content for its adult viewers over the years; while there hasn’t been much variety available for the kids. However, with new streaming services such as Disney+, Apple TV+, and the already established Netflix and Amazon Prime, a wave of family-friendly content has emerged. Thus, HBO Max also seems to be making the cut in the race of growing competition.
The path of HBO Max has been far from smooth as the COVID-19 pandemic has halted the production of any new exclusives. Also, not everyone is aware of the differences between HBO (already has 40 million subscribers) and HBO Max. The quality of HBO shows has never been questioned. Giants like Game of Thrones, Succession, Chernobyl, and Barry have carried HBO with great value and reception. But the new streaming battle will have to be fought with a great mix of new originals and old classics; which would pave a way to get HBO Max in front of a large number of viewers.
So, yes, Game of Thrones might not interest everyone who is watching these news shows on the streaming platforms; perhaps because they have already watched the biggest fantasy-drama ever. However, the interest in Westeros will certainly rise when the upcoming prequel, House of Dragon arrives. And with more spinoffs in the pipeline, plus two monumental books in the ASOIAF series still in progress, Game of Thrones is here to stay; with one face or the other.
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