Warner Brothers Discovery has untimely and abruptly decided to put an indefinite hold on the launch of the American subscription video-on-demand(SVOD) service HBO Max. Reports say the company is currently looking at cost-cutting methods worldwide and is also working on merging HBO Max with Discovery+.
As of now, there is no word from Warner Bros Discovery regarding their plan of action. One of the seniors in the organization informed the press that previously the plan was to launch HBO Max within 1-2 years, but looking at the current state, it is difficult to even talk about any launch happening in India. In continuation, he said, “All we were told is that it would not launch till the end of 2024. In a fast-changing OTT world, two years is a very long time”.
“The intent is to launch a combined streaming service, including in key Asia-Pacific territories in 2024,” said another spokesperson for the company on plans for India in the near future.
The decision has led Saugata Mukherjee to step down as the content head of HBO Max India. Saugat resigned within a year of his joining. He would probably be returning to join Sony Liv.
Earlier, Mr. Arjun Nohwar was seen as the GM, of Warner Bros Discovery for South Asia.
Even before this massive decision by Warner Bros, the company, earlier this month, has performed certain restructuring strategies. This included laying off approximately 14% of the workforce at HBO and HBO Max. According to one of the top producers, this is a huge missed opportunity for Indian content creators. The hold was unforeseeable and unexpected.
