According to a report released on Thursday, Warner Bros Discovery (WBD) plans to discontinue several premium channels offered to cable and satellite customers subscribing to HBO and Cinemax.
The report,
from Multicast News
HBO Family is one of the channels scheduled to close on August 15. On the same date, ThrillerMax, OuterMax, and MovieMax—channels currently accessible to Cinemax subscribers—will also cease operations.
The report indicated that HBO and Cinemax will remain accessible as individual subscription options through cable and satellite services. Every multiplex will keep providing the main HBO and Cinemax channels along with additional ones such as the West Coast versions of these networks and extra channels including 5StarMax and HBO Signature.
Many providers package HBO alongside Max, the upcoming streaming platform that will return as HBO Max. This service allows viewers to watch most of the programs and films shown on the respective HBO and Cinemax channels at their convenience. The monthly fee for Max starts at $10 with advertisements or goes up to $17 without them; additionally, the higher-tier subscription comes with access to live HBO channels.
The choice to discontinue the networks occurs roughly three days following WBD’s announcement.
separate its cable networks
into an independent entity, temporarily named “Global Networks,” while keeping its streaming services and film studios within a separate division titled “Studios & Streaming.”
According to information provided by a source to Multicast News, WBD might choose to close certain digital networks connected to their Turner and Discovery properties which they consider not significant for the operations of the Global Networks division. Specific channel names weren’t disclosed. Apart from HBO and Cinemax, WBD manages CNN, TBS, TNT, Cartoon Network, Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, Travel Channel, Science Channel, OWN (formerly known as the Oprah Winfrey Network), Food Network (jointly owned with Nexstar Media Group), DIY Network, and the Cooking Channel.
Earlier this month, WBD announced that fewer than 100 employees would be laid off from their cable networks division. The majority of these positions were part of the previous Discovery Networks sector, which encompasses much of WBD’s lifestyle and informational channels.
A confidential informant disclosed to a trade journal
Adweek
that the layoffs aimed to assist WBD in “operating more efficiently,” and were part of larger trends within the entertainment sector, especially affecting firms that manage traditional cable television networks.
Joe Flint, who covers media and entertainment for the Wall Street Journal, was the initial one to report about the layoffs on Monday.
publishing to his profile on Twitter
(Twitter formerly known as) account reported “layoffs are expected this week at Warner Discovery’s cable networks division.” The newspaper chose not to run an article on the topic.
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