HBO faces a huge obstacle with the launch of HBO Max: Its partner cable companies
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HBO Max comes with a catch for HBO, says Steven Zeitchik. "To offer such a service to its subscribers, HBO doesn’t actually have the clear field that the presentation suggested: It has an obstacle-strewn one," he explains. "Outside of AT&T’s providers and the HBO Now service, HBO relies heavily on outside companies to deliver its programming to some 30 million subscribers. Those companies, such as Comcast, Charter and Dish, all take a chunk of revenue for providing — and often promoting — HBO. And that’s where the problem comes in. These are companies AT&T does not own. And they’re companies that decidedly have a vested interest in not shifting their consumers over to HBO Max. Why would they? They don’t stand to take in any of the dollars once it happens."
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