One of the biggest fights in streaming right now is finding a way to make it profitable. Most streaming services, including major ones like Disney+, Peacock, and Paramount+, are all still losing money. Disney and Paramount reportedly plan to become profitable with its streaming in 2024 or 2025.
Now Warner Bros. Discovery has come out and said that its new streaming service Max was “getting slightly profitable” in the first half of 2023. This would make Max one of the few streaming services to be profitable alongside Netflix. Gerhard Zeiler, the president of international at Warner Bros. Discovery, went on to say, “What we see at least in the last, let’s say 12 months, is that the era of streaming we saw with an over-delivery of content underpriced at this low level [is over].” According to a report from The Hollywood Reporter.
This all comes as Warner Bros. Discovery has started to add premium live content to Max, including Sports. Earlier this month, Max added a new sports add-on that will offer live sports from professional and college games for free at first. Later the service will cost an extra $9.99 a month.
The Bleacher Report Sports Add-On tier features more than 300 live U.S. and global sports events year-round, including the MLB, NHL, NBA, NCAA Men’s March Madness, U.S. Soccer events, and more. The package includes Bleacher Report live video content and a hefty lineup of programs such as pre and post-game shows and Inside the NBA. Replays are available to those who missed or want to rewatch a game.
Max is now the streaming host of all live games on Warner Bros. Discovery networks, such as TNT, TBS, and truTV. This will include the MLB Playoffs, NHL games, NBA games, and March Madness.
It looks like Warner Bros. Discovery has found a way to make Max profitable and is hoping to continue to grow it by adding live sports.