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HBO Max and Peacock are already losing some high-profile movies and it shows how they're taking a different approach than Disney Plus

Jul 22, 2020, 01:32 IST
Business Insider
"Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice"Warner Bros.
  • Some popular movies are soon leaving new streaming services, like the "Harry Potter" movies (Warner Bros.) on HBO Max and "Jurassic Park" (Universal) on Peacock, due to closing licensing windows.
  • It shows how these streaming services are taking a different approach than Disney, which has clearly stated its goal to have Disney Plus become a home for all its IP.
  • But streaming experts Business Insider spoke with didn't view the loss of high-profile IP from a parent company as a deal breaker for many subscribers of a streaming service.
  • "Every company wants a foundational offering of the best of their franchises that helps to build a brand," said Tuna Amobi, an analyst with research firm CFRA. "Peacock won't ultimately let anyone else have 'The Office,' for instance. But while Disney has taken a comprehensive approach to bring in everything on one platform, others will look at it by a case-by-case basis."
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When media giants like WarnerMedia and NBCUniversal announced they would launch their own streaming services, it seemed like a bid to consolidate their own TV and movie catalogs into one platform to keep them out of the hands of rivals like Netflix.

Now that those services — WarnerMedia's HBO Max and NBCU's Peacock — are out in the world, however, it seems that's not entirely the case.

It's true that the services have snatched up IP synonymous with their respective parent companies, dropping millions of dollars for the likes of "Friends," which was produced by Warner Bros. TV and is now streaming on Max, and "The Office," which originally aired on NBC and is set to leave Netflix by the end of the year for Peacock.

But Max and Peacock have also made headlines since they launched because some major movies are already leaving their services.

The "Jurassic Park" trilogy — originally distributed by NBCU's Universal Pictures — will move from Peacock (which launched last week) to Netflix on August 1. And all eight "Harry Potter" movies — originally distributed by Warner Bros. — are set to depart Max (which launched in May) on August 25.

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"Jurassic Park"Universal

Rights deals can be complicated and many were negotiated years before the streaming services launched.

But still, it seems that Max and Peacock are not following the lead of Disney Plus, which launched in November with a clearly stated goal of becoming the definitive platform for all things Disney.

"Every company wants a foundational offering of the best of their franchises that helps to build a brand," said Tuna Amobi, an analyst with research firm CFRA. "Peacock won't ultimately let anyone else have 'The Office,' for instance. But while Disney has taken a comprehensive approach to bring in everything on one platform, others will look at it by a case-by-case basis."

"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows"Warner Bros.

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The streaming industry analysts Business Insider spoke with didn't see the loss of some high-profile IP as a deal breaker for many subscribers.

"In the short term, as opposed to marketing these movies, they'll market something else that's exclusive and that's the reality of working your way through these deals," said Stephen Beck, the founder and managing partner of consultant firm cg42.

Besides "Harry Potter," Max is also rotating out a selection of DC movies, though some that were set to leave the service at the end of June, such as "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice," will be available through December due to popular demand.

Movies will also come and go from Peacock regularly, the company previously said.

"I don't think every company needs to pursue the same strategy to be successful," Amobi said, noting that Peacock also offers a free, ad-supported version. "It's all fluid."

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