HBO and HBOMax have hit 73.8 million global subscribers — growth that WarnerMedia CEO Jason Kilar is very proud of. Those numbers put the streamer in a place to compete with Disney+ and Netflix.
But there’s a lot the numbers don’t reveal. WarnerMedia did say how many of those subscribers were for linear HBO and how many were for the streamer HBO Max. The company also didn’t specify how many of those subscribers are domestic versus international.
In 2021, lots of people likely signed up for HBO Max because all Warner Bros. movies were released in theaters and on the streamer at the same time. However in 2022, Warner Bros. movies will be exclusively in theaters first, so there’s some question if customers will stay if they can’t get brand new movies.
And as the Omicron variant continues to sweep through the nation, Sundance has canceled in-person events and the Grammys have been delayed.
The Golden Globes, however, will go forward, but the ceremony will look very different than in years past.
The Golden Globes and the Hollywood Foreign Press Association have spent the last year mired in scandal over lack of diverse representation and unscrupulous practices like wooing journalists with high-priced trips. NBC dropped the television broadcast of the show.
So this year, the names of winners are being read off in Beverly Hills, but there will be no celebrities in attendance, and no media to cover the event live. Members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association will attend — wearing masks and staying six feet apart.
Now the question remains of whether the Globes can return next year and ever approach the fun-loving party they once were, or has their reputation been tarnished forever?