Streaming Wars, Sep. 2022: HBO Max sure had a weird month
By Dan Selcke
Each month, we read over the latest dispatches from the front lines of the Streaming Wars and assess how the likes of Netflix, HBO Max, Disney+ and the rest are doing. Who won the day, who was defeated, and who’s biding their time? We mark it all down on this living graph, which changes every month.
How did the combatants fare in July of 2022? Take a look:
Paramount+
The big original releases on Paramount+ this month were the third season of Star Trek: Lower Decks and Orphan: First Kill. Neither were that big. Points: +1
Netflix
The big releases for August included The Sandman and the third seasons of Locke & Key and Never Have I Ever. And if you don’t want to see the stuff people actually watched, August also brought a whole lot of extra original content no one’s ever heard of. Points: +3
Disney+
Easily the biggest release in August was She-Hulk. Every new Marvel series makes an impact, although less and less so as they pile up. Points: + 2
Hulu
In August, Hulu got new releases like Reservation Dogs, Little Demon, The Patient and Welcome to Wrexham. The biggest release was probably Prey, a well-reviewed prequel to Predator. Points: + 2
HBO Max
No one had a weirder month than HBO Max. On the one hand, it premiered House of the Dragon, which is a ludicrous success right out the gate. On the other, incoming CEO David Zaslav gutted the streamer’s content library, with special vindictiveness reserved for the animation division. If House of the Dragon weren’t such a huge hit, HBO Max would lose points. As it is, we’ll call it even. Points: N/A
Amazon Prime Video
A League of Their Own and the Sylvester Stallone vehicle Samaritan made some waves this month, but Amazon’s real moment will come in September, when The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power makes its bow. Points: + 2
Apple TV+
The only thing new on Apple TV+ in August that I’ve even heard of is See, and then just barely. A pretty quiet month. Points: + 1
Peacock
The biggest title this month was probably the Kevin Bacon horror film They / Them, which…sure. Love Island also has its fan. Points: + 1
You can check out the living graph here:
Next. Streaming Wars. dark
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