In their continued quest for power, Warner Bros. Discovery has just signed a massive contract with a film studio for exclusive streaming rights on their platforms.
Industry darling A24 has come to a deal with Warner Bros. Discovery to stream their entire catalog both current and future on HBO, MAX, and Cinemax. While A24 already had a presence on the platform, this deal means all current and future films will stream exclusively on these platforms after their theatrical runs are finished. This deal comes after A24’s exclusive streaming deal with Showtime expired sometime last year.
“Continuing our relationship with A24 to bring award-winning movies alongside recent fan-favorites to subscribers adds incredible value to the HBO and Max value proposition,” said Royce Battleman, EVP of content acquisitions for Warner Bros. Discovery. This means that films like Sofia Coppola’s recent biopic Priscilla as well as upcoming Zac Efron-led The Iron Claw, as well as over 100 other titles, including Everything, Everywhere, All At Once and Uncut Gems, will be available only to Max subscribers.
There may be concern in the future regarding Warner Bros. and, by extension, HBO’s propensity for canceling movies and television shows as well as pulling content from their library. Recently WB got into hot water after their canceling the nearly-fully finished Coyote vs. Acme film, a move that made shockwaves across the industry and would eventually cause the company to quickly backtrack the controversial move.
In the wake of the scandal, Warner Bros. were asked to be investigated by the DOJ in a letter signed by multiple legislators, including Senator Elizabeth Warren, over its alleged “anticompetitive practices.” These practices included canceling multi-million dollar projects like Batgirl, causing thousands of workers to fight for less work, and taking highly anticipated products away from consumers in an alleged bid for tax benefits.
WB has already taken dozens of movies and TV shows off their platform. From Westworld to several Cartoon Network offerings, it seems that no IP is safe from the current constraints of streaming business practices. With A24 media coming onto the scene there is a distinct possibility that these films are now completely at the whim of WB when it comes to their online availability. In an age where fewer and fewer people buy physical media, it is now up to the streamers to decide what the average person is able to watch at any given moment.
As Hulu and Disney+ finally merge streaming platforms to offer one combined service, Apple TV+ and Paramount+ are considering following suit. The entertainment industry is finally experiencing a full-circle moment as streamers merge back into multi-studio offerings and subscription tiers teeter back into cable territory. The A24 and HBO/Max deal is simply described as a “multiyear pay-one output agreement,” so it’s unclear just how long the films will be exclusive to the Warner Bros. streamer. However, as more and more platforms start to conglomerate back together, it’s possible that these beloved indie projects could make their way back onto other services.
For now though, A24 fans are torn between two options: subscribe to Max or buy as many physical copies of their releases as you can. And if Max and Warner Bros.’ hot cancellation streak is anything to go by, we would suggest the latter.
What do you think about this massive streaming deal? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!