WEBVTT - How WarnerMedia Built HBO Max 0:00:00.360 --> 0:00:04.280 Huntsville, Alabama in nineteen forty six, a city that was 0:00:04.320 --> 0:00:09.119 as American as Apple Strudel. From l A Times Studios 0:00:09.200 --> 0:00:13.560 comes paper Clip, a podcast sponsored by Amazon Studios and 0:00:13.640 --> 0:00:18.160 inspired by its Emmy eligible dramatic series Hunters, starring Al 0:00:18.200 --> 0:00:22.440 Pacino and Logan Leharman. Join host Michael ian Black as 0:00:22.480 --> 0:00:25.120 he teams up with a Cold War scholar to explore 0:00:25.200 --> 0:00:29.240 Operation paper Clip, a real life top secret program that 0:00:29.320 --> 0:00:33.040 brought Nazi scientists to the American heartland to work on 0:00:33.120 --> 0:00:37.880 government aerospace and medical research projects. Available now on Apple 0:00:37.960 --> 0:00:48.879 Podcasts and all other platforms. Welcome to Strictly Business Varieties, 0:00:48.880 --> 0:00:52.800 weekly podcast featuring conversations with industry leaders about the business 0:00:52.800 --> 0:00:56.840 of media and entertainment. I'm Cynthia Littleton, business editor for 0:00:56.960 --> 0:01:00.960 Variety Today. My guest is Bob Greenblatt, chairman of Warner 0:01:01.000 --> 0:01:04.680 Media Entertainment and Direct to Consumer. Greenblatt has a long 0:01:04.760 --> 0:01:08.120 resume in the television business. He's known for turning around 0:01:08.160 --> 0:01:12.400 the fortunes of Showtime and NBC. Since March of last year, 0:01:12.440 --> 0:01:15.600 he's been the executive leading the charge behind HBO Max, 0:01:15.959 --> 0:01:18.800 the streaming service from Warner Media that makes its debut 0:01:18.920 --> 0:01:22.240 today it's a four billion dollar bet for a T 0:01:22.400 --> 0:01:25.319 and T that's streaming is the future profit engine for 0:01:25.360 --> 0:01:29.640 its media businesses. Greenblatton I spoke on May eleventh, is 0:01:29.680 --> 0:01:36.720 the two week countdown to launch began. Hello Bob, good 0:01:36.760 --> 0:01:38.760 to see you again. Thanks for taking time out to 0:01:38.800 --> 0:01:42.800 join us my pleasure. You're two weeks and three days 0:01:42.880 --> 0:01:48.520 from launch. Yeah, counting right, HBO Max you might have 0:01:48.520 --> 0:01:52.120 heard something about it. Tell us kind of at this stage, 0:01:52.360 --> 0:01:56.360 where are you in terms of putting final bells and whistles? 0:01:56.400 --> 0:01:59.480 Are you looking at programming? What? What kind of stuff 0:01:59.480 --> 0:02:03.560 are you doing as the two week countdown begins? Well, honestly, 0:02:03.560 --> 0:02:07.960 we're in the final stages on everything relating to the platform, 0:02:08.080 --> 0:02:11.720 the app, the content, and you know, once we get 0:02:11.760 --> 0:02:14.919 to May, which is the launch date, it won't be 0:02:15.400 --> 0:02:17.720 really the end of the process. It really is just 0:02:17.840 --> 0:02:21.480 the beginning. But I will say, um, in these last 0:02:21.639 --> 0:02:25.520 eight weeks we've been doing all of this largely from home, 0:02:25.800 --> 0:02:29.799 and it's quite remarkable the degree to which everyone has 0:02:29.840 --> 0:02:34.639 been able to deliver um. But the you know, the technology, 0:02:34.840 --> 0:02:38.920 the platform, everything has uh you know, an up to 0:02:38.960 --> 0:02:44.760 the last deadline sort of delivery on it. So everyone's 0:02:44.800 --> 0:02:48.320 working away around the clock, putting a finishing touches on 0:02:48.440 --> 0:02:52.760 original content, look at everything. But you know, we're in 0:02:52.880 --> 0:02:57.040 really really good shape. I know that you've been test 0:02:57.120 --> 0:03:01.560 driving this, test driving HBO Max with internal users. What 0:03:01.560 --> 0:03:04.880 what kind of feedback have you gotten? Yes, I mean 0:03:04.880 --> 0:03:06.760 this is a process. When you take something like this 0:03:06.880 --> 0:03:10.080 to market, you really want to show it to you know, 0:03:10.480 --> 0:03:14.000 certain groups of people internally, and you know, we call 0:03:14.080 --> 0:03:17.880 that the beta phase and really just tested. A lot 0:03:17.919 --> 0:03:22.280 of the bugs will present themselves in the technology. Those 0:03:22.280 --> 0:03:25.400 will get worked out. But it's really exciting to actually 0:03:25.560 --> 0:03:28.160 see it up and running. Something that has been on 0:03:28.200 --> 0:03:30.959 a drawing board for you know, so long. You actually 0:03:30.960 --> 0:03:33.200 get to see with it and and see it and 0:03:33.280 --> 0:03:36.080 play with it. And uh, it's not all in there 0:03:36.160 --> 0:03:38.960 yet because as I said, everything is being delivered, you know, 0:03:39.080 --> 0:03:41.880 right up for the last minute. But we've gotten great, 0:03:41.960 --> 0:03:46.880 great feedback, um, some really good constructive comments from people. Um. 0:03:47.000 --> 0:03:49.840 And you know, again the tech teams have just been 0:03:50.600 --> 0:03:55.080 so on it in terms of making sure this platform 0:03:55.200 --> 0:03:58.600 runs seamlessly. And I mean that's what you know the 0:03:58.680 --> 0:04:04.560 customer expects. Are there elements to the navigation or to 0:04:04.640 --> 0:04:07.120 the interface that you think are going to wow people. 0:04:07.200 --> 0:04:09.400 Can you give us any flavor of what that's gonna 0:04:09.400 --> 0:04:12.640 look like? You know, we will have UM I think 0:04:13.000 --> 0:04:17.880 just overall, it looks beautiful and it will run, you know, perfectly. 0:04:18.440 --> 0:04:21.000 There are some things we've talked about over the last 0:04:21.000 --> 0:04:23.720 few months that some will be available at day one, 0:04:23.800 --> 0:04:26.440 some will be rolled out in the months thereafter. But 0:04:26.480 --> 0:04:30.240 we're gonna do some some interesting curation UM down the road. 0:04:30.320 --> 0:04:34.080 What what you will see at launch are UM something 0:04:34.120 --> 0:04:37.359 we call programming hubs content hubs, which I think is 0:04:37.560 --> 0:04:41.640 new UM in the world of streaming platforms, and that is, 0:04:41.680 --> 0:04:45.840 once you scroll down beyond some of the top carousels, 0:04:46.279 --> 0:04:51.120 you will see groupings of programs of programming according to 0:04:51.160 --> 0:04:53.800 their brands. For instance, you know there'll be a big 0:04:54.000 --> 0:04:56.400 HBO hubs. So when you go on to the HBO 0:04:56.440 --> 0:05:00.000 Max platform, which has HBO as well as so much more, 0:05:00.000 --> 0:05:02.200 you could just roll right down to the HBO hub, 0:05:02.520 --> 0:05:05.480 you hit that button and then you are immediately into 0:05:05.680 --> 0:05:08.240 sort of an HBO created world. But there will be 0:05:08.279 --> 0:05:11.560 other brands that you can do that with as well, UM, 0:05:11.640 --> 0:05:18.520 such as UM you know, adult swim Turner, classic movies, UM, anime, 0:05:18.760 --> 0:05:23.520 different different kinds of programming and I think that's unique UM. 0:05:23.560 --> 0:05:26.280 And you know, we're just trying to find new ways 0:05:26.600 --> 0:05:32.320 for people to UM navigate through a platform. I think 0:05:32.360 --> 0:05:35.960 we're all frustrated to some degree with the volume of 0:05:36.000 --> 0:05:39.120 these platforms, and you know, you can scroll this way, 0:05:39.120 --> 0:05:41.680 that way, up and down and be frustrated at not 0:05:41.800 --> 0:05:45.560 finding something unless you search for it. UM. And we're 0:05:45.560 --> 0:05:49.159 trying to do some things organizationally which I think will 0:05:49.480 --> 0:05:52.680 make a difference. And you know, there's a lot more 0:05:52.720 --> 0:05:55.880 to talk about there, but I really look forward to 0:05:55.920 --> 0:05:59.359 you experiencing it for the first time. And you know 0:05:59.360 --> 0:06:02.640 you'll see care cells where we group friends episodes according 0:06:02.680 --> 0:06:06.320 to certain you know, funny and interesting sort of themes, 0:06:06.480 --> 0:06:10.520 and lots of really fun curation things which we're excited about. 0:06:11.120 --> 0:06:14.440 I know from talking to you and your team that curation, curation, 0:06:14.480 --> 0:06:17.400 curation is such a big part of that. Is some 0:06:17.520 --> 0:06:20.200 of that in response to what we're hearing from the 0:06:20.240 --> 0:06:23.159 industry about feeling like some service, some of the larger 0:06:23.160 --> 0:06:26.599 services can just be like a warehouse where it's not 0:06:27.120 --> 0:06:30.000 is conducive for people to you know, people to find 0:06:30.200 --> 0:06:34.200 find their shows, yes, and you know it's not really 0:06:34.240 --> 0:06:38.520 for me to denigrate any of the existing services, because 0:06:38.839 --> 0:06:43.520 we all use them and enjoy them, um, but we 0:06:43.640 --> 0:06:47.560 really uh, you know thematically for this this new product, 0:06:48.040 --> 0:06:52.480 we wanted to go with the basic sort of underlying 0:06:52.520 --> 0:06:56.200 principles of what HBO is, and an HBO we know 0:06:57.120 --> 0:07:00.039 is not only high quality, but it's one of the 0:07:00.080 --> 0:07:03.520 best curated systems in the world. Right. They don't make 0:07:04.480 --> 0:07:09.479 hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of original shows, UM, but 0:07:10.120 --> 0:07:13.679 the shows they make are really at the highest quality, 0:07:13.720 --> 0:07:16.400 and so you come to expect that you go to HBO, 0:07:16.720 --> 0:07:19.240 even if it's not your personal taste, you're going to 0:07:19.360 --> 0:07:25.560 see nothing but high level quality program So in that way, 0:07:25.560 --> 0:07:29.120 we're trying to curate that throughout the entire platform UM 0:07:29.240 --> 0:07:32.400 and all the new Max originals, and even the library content. 0:07:32.600 --> 0:07:35.240 You know, we have thousands of hours of movies from 0:07:35.240 --> 0:07:38.840 the great Warner Brothers film library and television shows UM 0:07:38.880 --> 0:07:41.800 as well. And yet we didn't put everything in we 0:07:41.840 --> 0:07:45.080 could have, but we decided to really go through those 0:07:45.120 --> 0:07:48.600 libraries and eliminate a lot of the stuff that we 0:07:48.720 --> 0:07:52.720 knew you would never want to watch. So overall, I think, 0:07:53.000 --> 0:07:56.800 you know, one of the distinguishing factors of our platform. 0:07:56.920 --> 0:07:59.680 Is that we're really trying to make it, you know. 0:08:00.080 --> 0:08:03.160 Rated I know the word is overused, but I haven't 0:08:03.160 --> 0:08:05.320 done a better one yet, But we really are, you know, 0:08:05.400 --> 0:08:10.320 trying to adhere to that. UM. Let me ask a 0:08:10.360 --> 0:08:13.920 specific question on HBO when you go to HBO Max 0:08:14.000 --> 0:08:16.960 on the HBO hub, when you pull that up, will 0:08:17.080 --> 0:08:21.680 it look like what HBO now looks like? Will it be? 0:08:21.720 --> 0:08:23.080 Will you go to that? It will be it? Will 0:08:23.120 --> 0:08:25.760 it be a different environment for HBO that we've seen before? 0:08:26.120 --> 0:08:29.320 Good question. It's a it's a different environment because it's 0:08:30.240 --> 0:08:33.079 it's along the lines of what the new HBO Max 0:08:33.120 --> 0:08:37.640 app is overall, which visually is is more arresting and 0:08:37.679 --> 0:08:42.280 different than what the current HBO Now service is. UM. Also, 0:08:42.320 --> 0:08:46.200 in HBO Now, I think, you know, programming is mostly 0:08:46.280 --> 0:08:51.559 organized alphabetically. You know, we've built off the Now platform technically, 0:08:51.559 --> 0:08:54.600 and we have extertise with the Now product that's been 0:08:54.600 --> 0:08:56.760 in the market for the last you know, four or 0:08:56.760 --> 0:09:00.439 five years. UM. But it was a simpler product, right 0:09:00.600 --> 0:09:04.840 and and didn't scale in terms of users, So there 0:09:04.840 --> 0:09:08.120 were things that we just never did. UM. Those are 0:09:08.160 --> 0:09:11.160 all now going to be available in hbox. And when 0:09:11.160 --> 0:09:14.000 you go into the HBO Hub. There is so much 0:09:14.040 --> 0:09:18.680 more to be offered UM in the hub itself. Do 0:09:18.800 --> 0:09:23.480 you feel any new programming venture, especially on this scale 0:09:23.520 --> 0:09:26.280 with this company is going to be very high stakes? 0:09:26.600 --> 0:09:29.480 Does it feel more so because the HBO brand is 0:09:29.520 --> 0:09:33.959 imbued in this product. Yes, I mean anything you bring 0:09:34.000 --> 0:09:36.360 to market in this space is high stakes. I mean, 0:09:36.400 --> 0:09:40.040 we just uh Disney transform their entire company to bring 0:09:40.160 --> 0:09:43.560 you know, plus to market and what a stunning success 0:09:43.600 --> 0:09:48.080 that is. UM. So Yes, the stakes are really high. 0:09:48.200 --> 0:09:54.320 And we knew that HBO, being fundamental to the platform UM, 0:09:54.880 --> 0:09:58.600 was gonna keep the stakes really high for us as well. UM. 0:09:58.679 --> 0:10:01.960 And yet we also knew that that brand means something 0:10:02.040 --> 0:10:06.040 to the audience not only here domestically, but around the world. 0:10:06.160 --> 0:10:11.840 And we felt that, UM, we wanted to assign ourselves 0:10:11.920 --> 0:10:15.319 the task of any of the programming that we add 0:10:15.360 --> 0:10:18.520 to this service, to this to this platform alongside the 0:10:18.640 --> 0:10:21.680 HBO service has got to be at that kind of 0:10:21.800 --> 0:10:26.040 quality level. And as I said, the libraries have the 0:10:26.120 --> 0:10:31.480 high quality. Whatever we are acquiring, UM, the doctor Who Library, 0:10:31.640 --> 0:10:35.240 you know, UM, the Studio Ghibli Library. I mean, we're 0:10:35.280 --> 0:10:37.120 really trying to go for things that are of the 0:10:37.200 --> 0:10:42.040 highest quality Sesame Street, which was also in HBO originally 0:10:42.120 --> 0:10:45.320 but kind of an island in in that you know, 0:10:45.440 --> 0:10:49.000 in that service, UM really bringing back to the four 0:10:49.160 --> 0:10:52.040 and you know, Sesame Street is arguably one of the 0:10:52.080 --> 0:10:56.679 greatest brands for children and educational television. So we tasked 0:10:56.679 --> 0:11:01.280 ourselves with UM rising to the level of HBO for 0:11:01.480 --> 0:11:04.079 anything that's in the service. Of course that's going to 0:11:04.120 --> 0:11:07.440 be subjective to a certain degree, but we really are 0:11:08.160 --> 0:11:11.959 serious about putting this out as the highest quality service 0:11:12.080 --> 0:11:15.520 that you know, a platform that you can get and 0:11:15.559 --> 0:11:18.559 I know you have. The company has stated a goal 0:11:18.960 --> 0:11:25.640 excuse me, of fifty million domestic subscribers by I know. 0:11:25.800 --> 0:11:28.280 Part of the impetus for all of this has been 0:11:28.320 --> 0:11:33.560 to grow to give the mothership HBO a bigger platform. 0:11:33.640 --> 0:11:37.200 Do you feel that you know that the rising tide 0:11:37.280 --> 0:11:39.360 year is going to lift all boats that HBO Max 0:11:39.400 --> 0:11:41.960 will be a very nice engine for Warner Media and 0:11:42.000 --> 0:11:45.720 a very nice engine for HBO, which has been despite 0:11:45.760 --> 0:11:49.280 the digital gains, it has been relatively stagnanted around thirty 0:11:49.280 --> 0:11:53.280 three million subscribers for the last you know, five to 0:11:53.320 --> 0:11:56.760 eight years. I believe, yes, I think you've put your 0:11:56.760 --> 0:12:01.080 finger on it exactly right. Um, HBO is a phenomenal product, 0:12:01.160 --> 0:12:04.600 but um, there's a ceiling to it, and as you said, 0:12:04.679 --> 0:12:07.640 it's sort of been at that ceiling for a few 0:12:07.760 --> 0:12:10.440 years as the rest of the world has gone much 0:12:10.480 --> 0:12:16.280 more aggressively to these larger streaming platforms. And so I 0:12:16.320 --> 0:12:18.840 think not only will we be able to bring all 0:12:18.920 --> 0:12:23.520 of the Warner Media assets together in this platform, um, 0:12:23.600 --> 0:12:26.280 but one of the benefits of doing it, if we 0:12:26.400 --> 0:12:30.440 if we do it correctly, is HBO, the great HBO service, 0:12:30.440 --> 0:12:34.320 which is now fifty years old, right, will be exposed 0:12:34.320 --> 0:12:37.920 to many, many more people. UM, some of whom you 0:12:37.920 --> 0:12:40.600 know probably think HBO is not for me. You know, 0:12:41.000 --> 0:12:44.880 it's the programming is mostly adult programming. You know, it's 0:12:44.880 --> 0:12:49.360 a certain kind of uh programming. They don't do much 0:12:49.440 --> 0:12:53.719 reality shows, much on scripted outside from you documentaries, So 0:12:54.240 --> 0:12:57.560 there are things not in HBO that people you know, 0:12:57.640 --> 0:13:00.920 I thought, well, it's not for me. I hope we 0:13:00.960 --> 0:13:04.960 can expose a lot of those people to this product. 0:13:05.080 --> 0:13:08.320 I mean this this service by virtue of it being 0:13:08.679 --> 0:13:12.439 part of the overall platform, and then you know, all 0:13:12.520 --> 0:13:15.800 the content will be there together and and I hope 0:13:15.840 --> 0:13:22.080 will increase the you know, the the exposure for for 0:13:22.240 --> 0:13:26.960 HBO in general. UM, I know, obviously you must be 0:13:27.000 --> 0:13:30.440 somewhat disappointed. You must be disappointed that they you had 0:13:30.480 --> 0:13:34.360 plans to launch with some fanfare and the reunion of friends, 0:13:34.920 --> 0:13:39.319 six actors that aren't in the same place together very often. UM. 0:13:39.480 --> 0:13:42.320 Is that did you feel like when it became clear 0:13:42.360 --> 0:13:45.600 that in pandemic conditions that that that reunion special was 0:13:45.640 --> 0:13:48.560 not going to happen? Did you did you scramble at 0:13:48.559 --> 0:13:50.679 all to try something, to try to find some kind 0:13:50.679 --> 0:13:53.280 of a replacement event or how did how did you 0:13:53.320 --> 0:13:56.480 grapple with that curveball? Well, at first we were in 0:13:56.520 --> 0:14:00.240 denial right that it would be um delayed that long, 0:14:00.280 --> 0:14:02.959 as I think we all were when this started. At 0:14:03.000 --> 0:14:06.120 first we thought, oh, shows will be you know, delayed 0:14:06.160 --> 0:14:08.520 for a month or or two at the most. And 0:14:09.000 --> 0:14:10.960 now it seems like it's going to be you know, 0:14:11.000 --> 0:14:15.360 far longer than that. Um. And uh, we're holding out 0:14:15.559 --> 0:14:20.440 for being able to get this special done hopefully by 0:14:20.440 --> 0:14:22.680 the end of the summer, if if the stars aligned 0:14:22.680 --> 0:14:25.360 and we can get back into production. UM. We do 0:14:25.440 --> 0:14:28.680 think there's a value to having a big, raucous live 0:14:28.720 --> 0:14:33.480 audience to experience these six great friends coming back together, 0:14:33.800 --> 0:14:36.280 and you know, we didn't want to just suddenly do 0:14:36.400 --> 0:14:39.640 it on a web call with you know, six squares 0:14:39.760 --> 0:14:44.800 and you know people shooting from their kitchens and their bedrooms. UM. 0:14:44.840 --> 0:14:47.800 Now I reserve the right to say, if this goes on, 0:14:48.480 --> 0:14:52.640 you know, indefinitely, we may you know go more to 0:14:52.640 --> 0:14:55.720 to a virtual route if if it is delayed too long. 0:14:56.200 --> 0:14:59.520 But at the moment, we're trying to you know, look 0:14:59.560 --> 0:15:02.360 to the few you and get this thing done, um 0:15:02.400 --> 0:15:05.160 in a more conventional way. And UM, I think it's 0:15:05.160 --> 0:15:07.280 worth waiting for we were we would have loved to 0:15:07.280 --> 0:15:09.840 have had it on day one. But at the same time, 0:15:10.160 --> 0:15:14.080 if we can get it watched in the fall, um, 0:15:14.120 --> 0:15:15.840 I think it'll be something that we can you know, 0:15:16.000 --> 0:15:19.160 have the audience really looking forward to as well. You 0:15:19.240 --> 0:15:22.840 could almost you know, a second wave of another wave 0:15:22.880 --> 0:15:26.640 of marketing around it. Well, like I said at the beginning, 0:15:28.080 --> 0:15:31.640 is just the start of the marathon, and we need 0:15:31.680 --> 0:15:35.920 to have you know, events like the Friends reunion every 0:15:36.080 --> 0:15:39.120 several months, if not you know, longer, now we'll never 0:15:39.160 --> 0:15:43.960 have that you know, that perfect storm again. But it's 0:15:44.000 --> 0:15:47.120 incumbent on us to you know, have one thing after 0:15:47.160 --> 0:15:54.360 another that keeps the audience really really adage. We'll be 0:15:54.480 --> 0:16:00.720 right back Huntsville, Alabama, in a d that was as 0:16:00.760 --> 0:16:05.800 American as Apple Strudle. From l A Times Studios comes 0:16:06.040 --> 0:16:10.520 paper Clip, a podcast sponsored by Amazon Studios and inspired 0:16:10.560 --> 0:16:14.920 by its Emmy eligible dramatic series Hunters, starring Al Pacino 0:16:15.000 --> 0:16:18.800 and Logan Lehman joint host Michael Ian Black as he 0:16:18.880 --> 0:16:22.000 teams up with a Cold War scholar to explore Operation 0:16:22.080 --> 0:16:25.840 paper Clip, a real life, top secret program that brought 0:16:25.920 --> 0:16:29.840 Nazi scientists to the American heartland to work on government 0:16:29.880 --> 0:16:34.920 aerospace and medical research projects. Available now on Apple Podcasts 0:16:34.960 --> 0:16:43.960 and all other platforms. Welcome back to Strictly Business. Here's 0:16:44.000 --> 0:16:47.480 more of my conversation with Warner Media's Bob Green Black. 0:16:48.080 --> 0:16:51.360 You've had obviously the pandemic conditions have have thrown a 0:16:51.360 --> 0:16:54.400 wrench into into some of your original programming plans, but 0:16:54.520 --> 0:16:57.600 you didn't have a ton beyond the Friend especially, you 0:16:57.600 --> 0:16:59.280 didn't have a ton that was going to be on 0:16:59.400 --> 0:17:02.520 at launch. You really are so much of the HBO 0:17:02.640 --> 0:17:06.639 Max sort of selling proposition to the public is the 0:17:06.720 --> 0:17:11.639 depth of this library incredible movies and incredible shows. Do 0:17:11.680 --> 0:17:14.960 you feel like that's a competitive differentiator for you because 0:17:14.960 --> 0:17:19.400 it is so deep, especially with adult programming. M Yes, 0:17:20.240 --> 0:17:24.440 I agree with that, but I would also just say that, um, 0:17:24.480 --> 0:17:27.399 you know, when you look at the original programming of 0:17:28.119 --> 0:17:31.399 HBO again, since the service is part of HBO Max, 0:17:31.600 --> 0:17:36.040 all of the new HBO original programming from Perry Mason 0:17:36.080 --> 0:17:39.720 which is coming up this summer, you know, to Lovecraft Country, Um, 0:17:39.840 --> 0:17:42.600 all those shows, the Undoing and the Fall with Nicole 0:17:42.680 --> 0:17:46.520 Kidman and you Grant will be part of you know, 0:17:46.960 --> 0:17:51.160 HBO Max. And then there's actually quite a lot of 0:17:52.000 --> 0:17:55.560 Max originals, which is the additional original content that we're 0:17:55.560 --> 0:17:59.720 building around the HBO shows. Um. We're launching with six 0:17:59.720 --> 0:18:02.760 shows those on day one, including a show you know, 0:18:02.800 --> 0:18:06.119 starting the wonderful Anna Kendrick called love Life. We have 0:18:06.200 --> 0:18:09.000 the Elmo talk show for kids. We have a great 0:18:09.320 --> 0:18:13.440 reality show called Legendary. UM, we have a really searing 0:18:13.520 --> 0:18:17.960 documentary called On the Record. We're gonna have a lot 0:18:18.000 --> 0:18:21.360 of original programming on the Max side of things as well. UM, 0:18:21.400 --> 0:18:24.200 and then it's our job to keep those coming as 0:18:24.240 --> 0:18:27.359 the summer you know rolls on. But but yes, the 0:18:28.560 --> 0:18:32.320 libraries and the acquisitions that we've made friends South Park, 0:18:32.720 --> 0:18:35.280 you know, Big Bang theory. Um, the list goes on 0:18:35.320 --> 0:18:37.760 and on the west wing will be there. Those really 0:18:37.800 --> 0:18:41.439 are also I think differentiators for us, And when you 0:18:41.520 --> 0:18:46.480 put it all together, I think it's a really extraordinary value. 0:18:47.400 --> 0:18:49.879 Let me ask you, you know, um, Bob, you've been 0:18:50.160 --> 0:18:52.720 you've been involved with a lot of networks over the years. 0:18:52.800 --> 0:18:55.399 You've you've helped you know, you've come into networks, but 0:18:55.480 --> 0:18:57.919 we're in a in a bad place and lifted them up. 0:18:57.960 --> 0:19:00.400 You brought you know, during your time at show time, 0:19:00.440 --> 0:19:03.600 you really brought that company into the original series business. 0:19:04.400 --> 0:19:07.919 What what is different about doing this kind of a 0:19:08.040 --> 0:19:12.000 launch for something for a channel that is not a 0:19:12.040 --> 0:19:15.840 linear channel but but an on demand collection. Does it 0:19:16.000 --> 0:19:20.040 change the way you think about the positioning, the marketing, 0:19:20.200 --> 0:19:24.520 how you go about bringing an audience two an on 0:19:24.680 --> 0:19:28.120 demand network versus versus a linear network where you can 0:19:28.160 --> 0:19:33.680 say tune in Sunday night at nine. Yes, Um, honestly, yes, 0:19:33.840 --> 0:19:36.679 I mean I think there's a real uh, you know 0:19:36.840 --> 0:19:40.760 goal too. And it's familiar to us to bringing an 0:19:40.760 --> 0:19:43.960 audience to something new, a brand new platform in which 0:19:43.960 --> 0:19:48.320 we are you know, branding the new service and getting 0:19:48.320 --> 0:19:51.560 it out into you know, the world at large and 0:19:51.920 --> 0:19:54.199 you know, by and large, we're doing you know, the 0:19:54.240 --> 0:19:57.240 marketing outreach in the same way we would do a 0:19:57.359 --> 0:19:59.960 launch you know, on on any you know sort of 0:20:00.080 --> 0:20:05.560 big network. UM. However, once you get the platform up 0:20:05.560 --> 0:20:08.879 and running and the customers start coming, then you have 0:20:09.600 --> 0:20:12.679 data and insights that it come directly from the viewing 0:20:12.680 --> 0:20:16.119 patterns of these audiences, and they start telling you in 0:20:16.119 --> 0:20:18.720 a much more sophisticated and I would say maybe accurate 0:20:18.760 --> 0:20:22.520 way than Nielsen does UM what people are watching and 0:20:22.560 --> 0:20:25.240 what they want to watch, and and then we start 0:20:25.320 --> 0:20:30.359 to UM adjust the programming accordingly UM and at the 0:20:30.359 --> 0:20:33.640 same time market to them in a growth and subscription way, 0:20:34.080 --> 0:20:37.520 very differently than you know, taking a thirty second spot 0:20:37.600 --> 0:20:42.600 somewhere or an outdoor billboard. Those UM marketing plans, which 0:20:42.640 --> 0:20:47.480 are very complex and strategic, you know, go right to 0:20:47.560 --> 0:20:53.480 the audience, the customer themselves, UM and in different demos 0:20:53.560 --> 0:20:57.600 and you know groups of how people watch certain shows, 0:20:58.119 --> 0:21:01.400 and the sophistication of that is really what I think 0:21:01.440 --> 0:21:07.280 will UM you know, differentiate us from our competitors as 0:21:07.320 --> 0:21:10.440 well as all of our all of the streaming platforms 0:21:10.480 --> 0:21:13.760 from traditional media. And it really is a whole new 0:21:13.800 --> 0:21:18.880 way of speaking directly to you know, the customer. And 0:21:19.000 --> 0:21:22.160 you must already, as you've said, this is day one, 0:21:22.280 --> 0:21:24.680 is day one. You you've said that you've had you 0:21:24.800 --> 0:21:28.240 plan to have iterations every eight weeks or so. Are 0:21:28.320 --> 0:21:31.400 you already looking down the road to a time when 0:21:31.400 --> 0:21:34.119 you might have more, you know, some form of CNN 0:21:34.240 --> 0:21:36.960 on HBO act, you might have other elements from the 0:21:37.000 --> 0:21:42.040 Warner Media world adding you know, flowing into that hub. 0:21:42.880 --> 0:21:46.320 You mean sort of as a as a standalone service 0:21:46.400 --> 0:21:48.640 that we add to the platform or do you mean 0:21:48.680 --> 0:21:52.800 programming from those more more programming coming in from Yes, 0:21:52.840 --> 0:21:56.119 in fact, we are you know, CNN. I think people 0:21:56.160 --> 0:21:59.479 know this have an incredible movie division and they make 0:21:59.600 --> 0:22:03.320 sclose and in films, they make documentaries, um. And we 0:22:03.400 --> 0:22:07.120 are ordering several new documentaries from them as well as 0:22:07.680 --> 0:22:11.760 um many things from their library. Um saying with other 0:22:12.440 --> 0:22:16.120 networks and services across the Warner Brothers portfolio, whether it's 0:22:16.880 --> 0:22:19.840 Adult Swim or the cartoon network. We have all the 0:22:19.880 --> 0:22:23.200 Hanna Bear hand of Barbara cartoons and you know, all 0:22:23.200 --> 0:22:25.919 the great Warner Brothers animation and we've just ordered you know, 0:22:26.080 --> 0:22:29.600 eighty new Loony tunes, um, you know, to go along 0:22:29.640 --> 0:22:32.240 with the loom this library that we have, so there's 0:22:32.240 --> 0:22:35.919 gonna be a lot of things from the Warner Brothers assets, 0:22:36.240 --> 0:22:39.560 new versions of them, on the on the on the 0:22:39.560 --> 0:22:44.040 service and the platform. Um. And you know, at the 0:22:44.080 --> 0:22:47.680 same time, we're also acquiring things outside the company, So 0:22:48.119 --> 0:22:50.480 there's a voracious appetite you know, that needs to be 0:22:50.560 --> 0:22:54.639 fed on this platform. Um. But I will say Warner 0:22:54.640 --> 0:22:57.080 Brothers brings us so many things right from the get go, 0:22:57.600 --> 0:23:00.479 and we've spent the last year mining through what all 0:23:00.520 --> 0:23:03.400 those are and how can we do you know, new 0:23:03.480 --> 0:23:05.760 and updated regions of The Gossip Girl, you know, is 0:23:06.119 --> 0:23:08.360 a good example from Warner by this television which will 0:23:08.400 --> 0:23:11.399 be coming later in the year. Um, and you know, 0:23:11.440 --> 0:23:14.399 we're thrilled to have it. So we were really in 0:23:14.400 --> 0:23:18.480 a great position with the assets we already own. Um. 0:23:18.480 --> 0:23:20.760 But we're really not stopping there. It goes, it goes 0:23:20.800 --> 0:23:25.840 well beyond that. M Um. Bob, you came into Warner 0:23:25.880 --> 0:23:29.800 Media in March of nineteen, so you came in fairly 0:23:29.920 --> 0:23:32.160 fairly early on, but you came into a situation where 0:23:32.160 --> 0:23:36.359 people were already working on the thing that would become HBO. Max. 0:23:36.760 --> 0:23:40.160 What was challenging for you as a leader coming into 0:23:40.200 --> 0:23:44.000 something that was sort of already sort of already moving 0:23:44.040 --> 0:23:46.600 in one direction, but you were tasked with bringing it 0:23:46.640 --> 0:23:48.600 all together. What would you say were some of the 0:23:48.720 --> 0:23:52.440 challenges especially early on. Well, the good news is that 0:23:52.440 --> 0:23:55.040 it wasn't that far along UM. There were only a 0:23:55.080 --> 0:23:58.680 couple of key people that were starting to work on 0:23:59.000 --> 0:24:04.800 the tech platform and very early stages of new content. UM. 0:24:04.880 --> 0:24:07.840 So I did have the ability to get in there 0:24:07.920 --> 0:24:11.119 really at the beginning of it all. But it was 0:24:11.200 --> 0:24:16.840 like inventing, not inventing, but setting up almost an entirely 0:24:16.840 --> 0:24:18.719 new network. And I know network is sort of an 0:24:18.720 --> 0:24:22.560 old fashioned UM comparison, but for me, having come from 0:24:22.640 --> 0:24:26.360 various networks, it was appropriate because we had to come 0:24:26.440 --> 0:24:30.240 up with, you know, a content group and an acquisitions 0:24:30.280 --> 0:24:33.280 group and a scheduling group. I mean, we are going 0:24:33.320 --> 0:24:37.040 to schedule HBO Max in a way that is done 0:24:37.160 --> 0:24:39.960 with some of the old fashioned way, with people coming 0:24:40.040 --> 0:24:42.400 up with what shows are delivered when and what shows 0:24:42.440 --> 0:24:45.960 they should go with. And um, obviously the technical side 0:24:45.960 --> 0:24:49.200 of it that the development of product was an enormous undertaking. 0:24:49.680 --> 0:24:52.560 We have great assets in the overall a T and 0:24:52.600 --> 0:24:55.320 T world. Otter Media was already at the company. So 0:24:55.800 --> 0:24:59.200 we had the ability to draft Tony Consalvas and Andy 0:24:59.240 --> 0:25:03.320