AT&T reported its Q2 results Thursday morning, sharing that HBO Max and HBO combined had a net gain of 2.8 million domestic subscribers, bringing the total number of subscribers to 47 million in the U.S. by the end of the quarter, up by 10.7 million in the past year. HBO Max and HBO reached 67.5 million subscribers globally, up 12 million in the past year.
“HBO Max had another strong quarter and is ahead of plan to be a leading direct-to-consumer streaming platform, with both subscriber- and ad-supported choices. As a result, we’re raising our global HBO Max year-end forecast to 70 million to 73 million subscribers,” AT&T CEO John Stankey said in an announcement about Q2 results.
HBO Max began its international expansion in June with a launch in Latin America and the Caribbean. Plans for the area include a commitment to producing 100 local originals in Latin America over the next two years, in addition to the current HBO Max lineup. The streaming service is set to launch in Europe later this year.
AT&T is currently in an agreement to combine WarnerMedia with Discovery with a new company that be called Warner Bros. Discovery. The new company would combine assets, including HBO Max and Discovery+, along with investing in creating new content. AT&T and Discovery expect the deal to close in mid-2022. Approval is subject to Discovery shareholders as well as regulatory approval.