HBO Ends 2021 with 73.8 Million Global Subscribers

HBO Global Subscriber Numbers Reach 73.8 Million

As reported by its parent company, AT&T, HBO – encompassing both the traditional network and the HBO Max streaming platform – achieved a total of 73.8 million global subscribers by the close of 2021.

This figure surpasses the company’s earlier projections, which anticipated a year-end total between 70 and 73 million subscribers.

Subscriber Growth in Q4 and Year-Over-Year

The final quarter of the year saw a substantial increase of 4.4 million subscribers. This brings the total up from the 69.4 million reported in the previous quarter.

Notably, the prior quarter already demonstrated significant growth, representing a 12.5 million subscriber increase compared to the same period in the previous year.

Impact of Amazon Prime Channels Removal

Despite overall growth, HBO experienced a decline in U.S. subscribers during the third quarter. However, this decrease was counterbalanced by gains in international subscriptions.

A key factor contributing to the domestic decline was the removal of HBO Max from Amazon’s Prime Channels, resulting in a loss of 1.8 million U.S. subscribers – a drop from 47 million in Q2 to 45.2 million in Q3.

Revenue and Subscriber Recovery Expectations

WarnerMedia reported an average revenue per domestic subscriber of $11.82 at the time.

The company anticipated regaining some of the lost domestic subscribers as customers previously accessing HBO Max through Amazon Prime Channels transitioned to direct subscriptions.

Strong Performance in the Final Quarter

HBO highlighted the positive momentum experienced in the final quarter of 2021 earlier in the week.

The holiday season typically boosts viewership for entertainment services, and HBO Max benefited from this trend, with December marking its most-viewed month since its launch in May 2020.

Key Content Drivers

Several popular titles contributed to this surge in viewership:

• The premiere of the “Sex and the City” reboot, “And Just Like That…” became the No. 1 series on HBO Max in the U.S., EU, and Latin America.
• The season three finale of “Succession” saw a 47% increase in total views compared to the season two finale.
• Finales for “Insecure” and “Curb Your Enthusiasm” also drew significant audiences.
• The release of “The Matrix Resurrections” and “King Richard” as same-day movie releases further boosted viewership.

The popularity of these shows and films encouraged viewers to explore other original content available on HBO Max, leading to increased overall engagement.

Anticipation for the “Harry Potter: Return to Hogwarts” reunion special also drove new subscriptions in anticipation of the New Year.

Subscriber Counting Methodology

It is important to note that the reported HBO subscriber numbers do not include free trial users.

Furthermore, the domestic figures encompass U.S. accounts “with access to” both HBO and HBO Max, potentially inflating the actual number of active viewers.

AT&T’s Overall Performance and Future Outlook

AT&T CEO John Stankey revealed the updated subscriber numbers at a Citi investor conference.

The company also reported positive results in other areas, including 3.2 million net additions for postpaid phone subscribers and 1.0 million net additions for fiber subscribers – the best figures in over a decade.

Stankey expressed confidence that the planned merger between WarnerMedia and Discovery, expected to finalize in mid-2022, would receive regulatory approval.

The integration of Discovery’s content library into HBO Max is anticipated to drive further subscriber growth.