Warner Bros. Discovery has now confirmed a number of shows are set to leave HBO Max in the near future. Over the past week, it had been reported that shows like Westworld and The Nevers were due to be pulled from HBO Max. This latest update makes clear what exactly is leaving, and what the future holds for these popular shows.
Similar to many streaming services, HBO Max has been undergoing quite a few changes of late. Most notably, the service is in the slow process of being merged with Discovery Plus, following the wider merger of WarnerMedia and Discovery Inc. and the creation of Warner Bros. Discovery.
Now, and following those reports earlier this week, Warner Bros. Discovery has confirmed that a number of shows are being removed from HBO Max. In a statement to multiple outlets, including The Wrap, the company confirmed that these shows will be licensed to third-party FAST services. It currently remains to be seen which FAST services will get access to the shows, but Pluto TV, Tubi, Freevee, Xumo Play, and The Roku Channel are all examples of popular FAST streaming services.
For reference, the shows impacted by this change include:
- Finding Magic Mike: season 1
- FBOY Island: seasons 1 and 2
- Head of the Class: season 1
- Legendary: seasons 1-3
- Raised by Wolves: seasons 1 and 2
- The Nevers: season 1
- The Time Traveler’s Wife: season 1
- Westworld: seasons 1-4
According to the information, a number of other shows are also set to leave HBO Max in the coming days, although it currently remains to be seen what exactly the plan is for them.
Shows set to leave HBO Max in the coming days include:
- Gordita Chronicles: season 1
- Love Life: seasons 1 and 2
- Made for Love: seasons 1 and 2
- Minx: seasons 1 and 2
- The Garcias: season 1
In explaining the move, Warner Bros. Discovery says that by licensing these shows to third-party services, the company expects for them to reach new audiences. FAST services, more often referred to as ‘free services’, have become increasingly popular in recent years as they offset the cost of a subscription through the use of ads. HBO Max itself introduced an ad-supported tier last year. However, with FAST services typically being free, they have the ability to reach audiences that are not willing to pay a monthly subscription charge for a service like HBO Max, even if the cost is somewhat reduced through the use of ads.
Naturally, this is unlikely to be welcomed news for existing HBO Max subscribers considering they are about to lose access to a number of popular shows. While their availability on third-party FAST services will still make them accessible at no additional cost, there are those that are paying a premium for an ad-free HBO Max experience.
Looking more further afield, Warner Bros. Discovery is expected to eventually launch its own free streaming service. By separating some of the content that users of that future free service will get access to, this change somewhat begins that transition.
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