Warner Bros. Discovery ended the first quarter of 2026 with more than 140 million streaming subscribers. The update confirms a large increase on the previous quarter and year.
What You Need to Know
- Warner Bros. Discovery surpassed 140 million global subscribers, adding at least 8 million in Q1.
- Growth was driven by titles like A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms and The Pitt, local‑language programming, and the Winter Olympics.
- With momentum expected to continue into Q2, WBD says it is positioned to hit its 150 million subscriber target by the end of 2026.
Warner Bros. Discovery closed out 2025 with 131.6 million subscribers. While the company did not confirm the exact number of subscribers for the end of the most recent quarter, it did confirm more than 140 million, resulting in an increase of at least eight million in the first three months of the year.
According to Warner Bros. Discovery, the increase in subscribers was fueled by tentpole titles like A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms and The Pitt, increased investment in local language content including Like Water for Chocolate and Dona Beja, and access to marquee events like the 2026 Olympic Winter Games.
Warner Bros. Discovery expects Q2 to continue this momentum with high performing content during the second quarter expected to include season three of Euphoria, The Pitt, and season three of House of the Dragon (coming June).
“Our Q1 Streaming results reinforce our belief that we are on the right strategic path, and our momentum is accelerating,” the company said in its latest shareholder letter.
Previously, Warner Bros. Discovery said its goal was to surpass 150 million global subscribers by the end of 2026. Following the surpassing of 140 million, the company says it is on track to hit its end-of-year target of 150 million.
Considering Warner Bros. Discovery ended the first quarter of 2025 with 122.3 million streaming subscribers, the company managed to add close to 20 million over the past 12 months.
One of the key drivers of subscriber growth over this time has been the global expansion of HBO Max. During the first quarter alone, HBO Max became available in Germany, Italy, the U.K., and Ireland.
According to the WBD, these most recent launches now means the international rollout of HBO Max is mostly complete, with the streaming service now live in all of its key target markets.
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