HBO pulls out from Amazon Prime Channels
HBO subscribers via Amazon Prime Channels will no longer be able to stream their favorite movies and TV shows. Earlier this month, Amazon told users who signed up for HBO that their $15/month plans would be terminated on September 15th, while refunds will be issued later on.
In the past, an agreement has been arranged to secure HBO’s presence within Amazon Prime Channels to allows users access to HBO’s programming within the Amazon Fire TV user interface. Customers were able to easily register through their Amazon accounts, which sounded like a win-win deal for both parties.
However, the agreement reached a “major sticking point” during negotiations as HBO Max, the company’s primary streaming service, demanded its own app on the Amazon Fire TV platform. Hence, WarnerMedia replied to HBO’s demands by removing it all together from Amazon.
In total, HBO is estimated to lose around 5 million subscribers as part of this unprecedented move.
Yet, WarnerMedia is stating that the loss may turn out to be a good thing, as subscribers will have to resort to HBO Max as the primary entry platform for its streaming content.
“It’s important for us to own the customer,” Andy Forssell, chief executive at HBO Max said during an interview with Bloomberg.
“If the viewer is in the app, we can tailor the home page to them. We can tailor what they show them next. We can respond to that in real time,” Forssell added.
During this time, Amazon is aiming to drive subscribers to other premium channels. The retail giant is offering great deals on Paramount+, Starz and Showtime plans. Users interested in streaming content can pay only 99 cents per month for the duration of two months if they sign up by Friday.