Why HBO Max Can Stand to Trim Its Movie Catalog Without Losing Its Competitive Edge | Charts

Parrot Analytics
·2 min read
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While HBO Max may still trail Netflix and Hulu in terms of the total demand for series on its platform in the U.S., Parrot Analytics data shows that it has a comfortable lead over competitors when it comes to its film catalog. And while HBO Max recently upset creators and fans by unexpectedly axing some of its programming, including a high-profile “Batgirl” movie, the data shows that it has room to thin out its movie catalog while still remaining ahead of the competition.

Nearly 20% of demand for all movies available to stream on streaming video on demand (SVOD) platforms in the United States was for a movie on HBO Max in July, according to Parrot Analytics data, which takes into account consumer research, streaming, downloads and social media, among other engagement.

This is a comfortable lead over Netflix, which had a 15.4% share of demand for the month. There’s also a fair amount of market power concentrated among the top three players. Collectively, movies on HBO Max, Netflix and Disney+ accounted for 46.9% of demand for all movies available on all SVODs in the U.S.

As there continues to be speculation about combining the Disney+ and Hulu catalogs (already available as a bundle deal), it’s worth pointing out that combining the movie catalogs of Hulu and Disney+ would give the combined platform a market share exactly equal to HBO Max.

The most in-demand movie available to watch on HBO Max in August was “The Batman,” which had 54.76 times the average movie demand. Demand for this film is holding up incredibly well considering it premiered in March. At six months, it still manages to be one of the most in-demand movies in the U.S.

The most recent release among the top 10 movies on HBO Max is “Elvis,” with 32.14 times the average movie demand for the month. It’s also the most in-demand non-DC film on HBO Max. Six of the 10 most in-demand movies are from the DC universe, highlighting this franchise’s importance for the platform.  Unfortunately for “Batgirl,” however, it doesn’t appear that Warner Bros. Discovery recognized its potential as part of the DC franchise and “Batgirl” won’t see the light of day.

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