HBO Max's first trailer reminds you it has non-HBO titles, too
It's also a reminder that AT&T owns a very big media conglomerate.
HBO Max is still a few months away from its May launch, but that isn't stopping AT&T and WarnerMedia from trying to drum up some early hype. The streaming service has introduced its first trailer, and it mainly serves to remind you that Warner owns a lot of movies and TV shows beyond HBO. The promo starts with a not-so-subtle reminder that HBO Max has the exclusive for Friends, and goes on to show a flurry of clips from titles like Joker, South Park, Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and Wonder Woman, among others. The ad doesn't appear to tout HBO Max's originals, although that's not completely surprising when many of them won't be ready for a while.
The problem, of course, is that HBO Max won't be the only major option. It'll have to compete with streaming-only incumbents like Netflix and Amazon, not to mention the combo of Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu. The $15 per month you'll spend will include HBO, but won't include perks like live sports. And then there's the surge of newcomers like Apple TV+ and NBC's Peacock. Although HBO Max has the backing of a corporate giant, it still faces an uphill battle in a market where subscription fatigue is increasingly commonplace.
