Currently, worldwide, HBO Max has more than 45 million subscribers to its platform.
A survey reveals that 75 percent of Mexicans still watch open television content.
With more than 200 million subscribers worldwide, Netflix is the leading platform in the market.
With the upcoming merger between HBO Max and Discovery+, a new price adjustment is being prepared in the United States, but then, what will happen to the platform in Mexico?
The arrival of streaming platforms such as Netflix, Disney Plus, HBO Max, Paramount Plus, among others, definitely changed entertainment consumption habits. Today, simply, traditional television and cinema are not the same given the relevance that the streaming in the market.
This does not mean that television is close to disappearing. In 2020, according to what the National Institute of Geography and Statistics (INEGI)there were in Mexico around 71.5 million of people watching the broadcast television signalthat is, 61.2 percent of the total population aged six or older, who, on average, spent 2.41 hours a day looking at the so-called “magic box.”
These figures are complemented by what is reported by a survey carried out by the Federal Institute of Communications (IFT), which reveals that, of 100 percent of those surveyed, 75 percent still consume open television channels.
We are talking, without a doubt, of a somewhat favorable scenario for traditional media; however, it should be noted that, over time, various content becomes exclusive to streaming platforms, as happened with the purchase of the MGM catalog by Amazon Prime Video, as well as the acquisition of different soccer tournaments and other sports that have gone to HBO Max, Star Plus or Paramount Plus.
Let’s remember that, by 2029, the UEFA Champions League will be exclusive to Paramount Plus in a deal valued at more than $1.5 billion, as disclosed. What will happen to traditional television? It is something that is still unknown.
HBO Max prepares for a new price adjustment
Recently, it was revealed that HBO Max will merge with Discovery Plus to jointly create a single platform that will arrive in 2023, a fact that will also bring a new price table.
In accordance with a report published by CNBCGunnar Wiedenfels, CFO of Warner Bros. Discovery, said that both HBO Max and Discovery Plus are “below their true value.” Similarly, under the pretext of having a “better quality content”, the merger between HBO Max and Discovery Plus will have a higher cost, this because, according to what he considers, there is still room to offer his streaming proposal to a highest price.
Although it is true that these adjustments will begin to be seen in the United States, it is very likely that both Mexico and other markets will also experience a significant increase, which could be counterproductive for the company.
Until now, in Mexico, the price of HBO Max can be considered within the normal, with a price of 149 pesos. Netflix, for its part, costs 139 pesos in the basic plan; the price of Disney Plus is 159 pesos per month; while Prime Video costs 99 pesos per month.
It should be noted that the HBO Max mobile plan, until now, has a cost of 99 pesos per month, which could also be affected after the arrival of the new platform that is expected in the fall of 2023.
As of today, it is known that HBO Max has just over 48 million subscribers globally and has become one of Netflix’s strong competitors, which continues to lead the market.