Infinity Train, Summer Camp Island, and other shows wiped from HBO Max
Here’s why and how you can still watch them
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The union of HBO Max and Discovery+ is already causing pain through layoffs, and now the move is affecting some shows. Warner Bros. Discovery has confirmed to Variety that it’s removing 36 titles from HBO Max as soon as this week while it prepares for the Discovery+ platform merger. Most of the productions aren’t huge, but they do include recognizable HBO work like the Sesame Street spinoff The Not-too-Late-Show with Elmo and the Peter Dinklage movie My Dinner with Hervé. A handful of Cartoon Network shows are leaving.
In a statement, HBO Max said content would disappear from both services as it worked to bring the media libraries “together under one platform.” The provider didn’t elaborate on its reasoning, although Variety noted that pulling the shows outright (instead of canceling future seasons) would help HBO Max avoid paying more royalties. Warner Bros. Discovery said it would find $3 billion in savings as part of the corporate merger.
As you might imagine, at least some affected producers aren’t happy — this not only cuts off income, but might prevent people from seeing their work unless it finds another home. Summer Camp Island creator Julia Pott noted that some episodes developed during the pandemic will never see the light of day. Warner Bros. Discovery has “no respect for artists,” she said.
The combination of HBO Max and Discovery+ is expected to launch in summer 2023. While it’s not clear if Warner Bros. Discovery will drop more shows or otherwise slash costs, this latest move won’t be reassuring if you were hoping your favorite series would make the leap to the unified service.
HBO Max is looking to beef up its subscriber numbers with a solid discount on the annual plan. You can save 30 percent if you sign up for a year (or over 40 percent compared with a monthly plan). If you don’t mind dealing with ads, the service will cost $70 for 12 months, down from the usual $100. If you prefer not to see ads on HBO Max, you can pay $105, which is $45 off the regular price.
Buy an HBO Max annual subscription – $70 or $105
The offer is available through October 30th and it only applies to the first year of a subscription. A monthly plan costs $10 with ads and $15 without for a total of $120 or $180 per year. So, you can save quite a bit if you’re willing to commit to a one-year membership.
HBO Max is introducing the offer just days before the Game of Thrones spin-off show House of the Dragon premieres. You’ll also be able to stream the original show in 4K HDR.
In the past, we held up HBO Max as one of the best streaming services around, in large part thanks to its extensive content library. However, executives at newly merged parent Warner Bros. Discovery have been culling content and canceling high-profile original movies as part of a major cost-cutting drive. Meanwhile, HBO Max and Discovery+ will merge into a single streaming service next year.
After rumors swirled that Warner Bros. Discovery would be announcing a massive restructuring for HBO Max, the company has reportedly eliminated some jobs — though not nearly as many as had been feared. Warner Bros. Discovery is cutting around 14 percent of staff, or about 70 jobs, that had been under the purview of HBO and HBO Max chief content officer Casey Bloys, according to Variety.
HBO Max fans had reason to worry about worse cuts — Warner Bros. Discovery shelved Batgirl earlier this month (reportedly for a tax write-off) and has quietly pulled several HBO Max-exclusive films off the service. But ahead of Warner Bros. Discovery replacing HBO Max and Discovery Plus with one combined service next summer, the company is making some…
The major cost-cutting drive at Warner Bros. Discovery is continuing, as the company is reportedly laying off around 70 workers across HBO and HBO Max. Most of the cuts are on the side of the streaming service, according to Deadline.
The layoffs account for around 14 percent of staffers across the two divisions. HBO Max’s nonfiction team is being downsized, which isn’t surprising given the influx of reality and documentary programming from the Discovery side of the business. Leadership may believe it’s redundant for HBO Max to have its own reality division. As Variety notes, kids’ programming will be less of a priority for HBO Max too, as there have been cuts to the live-action family originals department.
Although there had been rumors that the ax would fall on many HBO Max originals as part of budget cuts and a changing strategies, that’s not exactly that case, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The publication notes that leadership at the streaming service is expanding its lineup of originals, albeit with fewer non-fiction and live-action family projects. No projects were canceled as part of today’s layoffs.
Warner Bros. Discovery recently cannedBatgirl and Scoob!: Holiday Haunt, movies that were lined up as HBO Max exclusives. According to reports, the company shelved the films in favor of tax breaks.
In addition, HBO Max’s casting and international teams have been downsized. The team that handles acquisitions of third-party content has been affected too. Meanwhile, layoffs are said to be expected in other Warner Bros. Discovery divisions. Engadget has contacted HBO Max for comment.
WarnerMedia and Discovery merged in April to form Warner Bros. Discovery. An effort to slash costs got underway quickly, with the company announcing it would shut down CNN+ only a few weeks after that streaming service launched. Next year, the company will merge HBO Max and Discovery+ into a single platform. It’s not yet clear what the unified streaming service will be called, though it may retain the HBO Max name or, according to one report, it could simply be named “Max.”
Some are still on HBO Max; others are not!