HBO Maxlaunched last week and became the latest major streaming service to enter the marketplace. WarnerMedia is looking to compete with the likes of Netflix. Like other services, the big draw is exclusive, marquee content. While HBO shows such asGame of Thronesand old favorites likeFriendswere widely advertised as anchors for the service, it is a pair of originals aimed at younger viewers,Looney Tunes CartoonsandThe Not-Too-Late Show With Elmothat have accounted for the most demand.
According to data collected by Parrot Analytics,Looney Tunes Cartoonswas the most popular show on HBO Max in its first week.The Not-Too-Late Show With Elmowas behind it. Anna Kendrick’sLove Lifewas in third place. Much like Netflix, HBO Max has yet to reveal any official viewership data. Though it is early days and even if they intend to do so in the future, it will probably take some time. Be that as it may, even though we don’t have firm numbers, this is telling for a few reasons.
For one,Looney Tunes Cartoonsbecoming the biggest hit on the service is nothing shy of a surprise but should encourage the company as it means their original programming strategy is working, at least for now.The Not Too Late Show with Elmohelps to further cement HBO Max as a streaming service that might be viewed as essential for families, which is a market that Disney+ has seemingly cornered quite well since its launch in November. Still, it is nonetheless shocking that A-list shows such asGame of Thrones,The SopranosandSex and the Citytrail so far behind Bugs Bunny and his pals.
Looking at the bigger picture, the data collected suggests none of these shows comes anywhere near matching the demand that Disney+ garnered forThe Mandalorian. The live-actionStar Warsshow debuted as a launch title with the service last year and proved to be a massive hit right out the gate. It is also worth mentioning that Disney+ costs $6.99 per month or $69.99 annually. HBO Max, on the other hand, is quite a bit more expensive at $14.99. Though it does contain more content overall. Thesreaming servicedoesn’t feature 4K streaming and doesn’t have apps available on Amazon Fire TV or Roku devices, which is working against it for now.
