The streaming wars are heating up in what may surprise many HBO shows are coming to Netflix. The first show added is Insecure, which is already streaming. With this deal, Netflix has confirmed that Band of Brothers, The Pacific, Six Feet Under, and Ballers will be added at a later date.
No word on how long this deal will last, but it is expected to be a multi-year deal.
This is not the first time we have seen Warner Bros. Discovery sell off HBO content to other services. Back in January, Warner Bros. Discovery announced deals with The Roku Channel and Tubi to bring their content to the free streaming service. This deal will bring a huge catalog of content to both services.
“As FAST continues to explode in popularity amongst cord-cutters, we’re seeing content players increasingly shift their focus towards capturing this audience, by bringing some of their best stuff to FAST. The rapid expansion of premium content on FAST is a win for both the viewer and content owner, as well as advertisers looking to reach these audiences through well-known programming. We’re delighted to be one of Warner Bros. Discovery’s inaugural FAST partners, and we look forward to introducing its incredible TV series, films, and entertainment brands to a whole new audience on The Roku Channel.” Said Rob Holmes, vice president of programming at Roku.
Hundreds of TV series and movies from Warner Bros. Discovery’s esteemed brand portfolio, including HBO, HBO Max, Discovery Channel, HGTV, Food Network, TLC, Warner Bros. Pictures, Warner Bros. Television, and more, are now available for audiences to stream for free on The Roku Channel and Tubi.
Warner Bros. Discovery seems to be looking for some extra cash to help it build out its own streaming service Max. Licensing older content to different streaming services could help it grow Max. It could also help HBO reach a new audience who may not have watched HBO in the past, helping it grow the brand and attracting subscribers to Max.