HBO Max International Boss Uses Netflix to Set The Bar for Global Domination
variety.comManori Ravindran International EditorNetflix may not have been at the MipTV market in Cannes in any substantial way this year, but the service was certainly front and center in a keynote by HBO Max International boss Johannes Larcher.In a bold presentation, Larcher pointed to his competitor’s international might as a motivating factor for HBO Max’s own growth outside the U.S.
In a number of slides dedicated solely to Netflix, the former Hulu exec highlighted the projected growth in Netflix’s international subscribers from 2021 to 2026 (147 subscribers in 2021 to an estimated 266 subscribers by 2026).“Netflix is clearly reaching saturation in the domestic market.
Where will growth come from? Only one place: outside the U.S.,” said Larcher, who was citing analyst estimates. He also pointed out the streamer’s aggressive content spend, which he expects to grow from $12 billion in 2021 to $21 billion by 2026.“$9 billion additional programming dollars buys a lot of content,” the executive warned. “That buys you almost 700 episodes of ‘The Crown,’ 50 ‘Spider Man: No Way Home’ movies.
That ability to spend more on content on behalf of fans drives the need to go global.”A streamer can only afford such dizzying levels of content spend, continued Larcher, “if you can leverage the investment over a larger number of subscribers.
Read more on variety.com
