HBO Max, Disney+ See Bump in App Downloads With Film Debuts

HBO Max saw a record 244,000 downloads on Sunday alone, following the release of Wonder Woman 1984.

By Christopher Palmeri, Bloomberg | Updated: 29 December 2020 11:18 IST

HBO Max, Disney+ See Bump in App Downloads With Film Debuts

Photo Credit: Twitter/ HBO Max

Nearly half of the customers who have subscribed to HBO Max watched Wonder Woman 1984 on the release day

Highlights

An estimated 5,54,000 users signed up for HBO Max from Friday to Sunday
The Pixar animated feature Soul was released on Disney+ on Christmas Day
HBO Max, available only in the US has 12.6 million account activations

AT&T's HBO Max streaming platform set a single-day record for downloads of its mobile app following the release of the superhero sequel Wonder Woman 1984, from the company's Warner Bros. studio.

An estimated 5,54,000 users signed up for the app from Friday to Sunday, including a record 2,44,000 downloads on Sunday alone, according to the market-research firm Apptopia. While mobile devices are just one entry point for customers using a streaming service, the data provides a way to measure traffic. HBO Max's total mobile users now stand at just under 12 million, Apptopia said.

Meanwhile, Walt Disney's Disney+ streaming service had about 2.3 million global installations of its mobile app over the Christmas holiday, a 28 percent increase from the prior weekend, according to the market-research firm Sensor Tower.

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The Pixar animated feature Soul, which was released on Disney+ on Christmas Day, took in about $7.6 million (roughly Rs. 5 crores) in its theatrical debut in several international markets, including China.

The weekend will be closely analysed by Hollywood executives and investors because studios decided to release two big films, Wonder Woman and Soul, on their streaming services on the same day they were released in cinemas. Wonder Woman took in $16.7 million (roughly Rs. 122 crores) in domestic theaters over the weekend. AT&T's WarnerMedia said nearly half of the customers who have subscribed to HBO Max directly from the company watched the film on the day of its release.

Apptopia and Sensor Tower tally only downloads of the companies' mobile apps. Disney+ has about 87 million global subscribers overall, while HBO Max, which is available only in the US, has had 12.6 million account activations.

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Investors largely perceive the dual theater-and-streaming strategy as a success. Shares of Cinemark rallied Monday, though AMC Entertainment reversed earlier gains, and Disney stock hit a new high.

--With assistance from Kelly Gilblom.

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