Verge editor-in-chief Nilay Patel and Verge reporter Julia Alexander talk to Otter Media CEO Tony Goncalves on his new project overseeing HBO Max.
Goncalves discusses AT&T's strategy for the WarnerMedia streaming service, the dispute with getting the app on Roku and Amazon, HBO Max's place in the streaming wars, and how their data usage works on mobile.
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This is an unofficial transcript meant for reference. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
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they're very similar to the french cast big interview show this week. Julia alexander and I sat down with tony- could solve as he's the executive at a t and t responsible for h, b, o max the company's new streaming service. Today's actual title of ceo of otter media, which is
the vision of eighteen, see, that's doing, atrium had a complicated or short. We may tony explained to us. We talk to tell me that
after a trio max actually launched. So we heard about how the launch went, how it's going, we got deepened.
strategy, frazier max huts, rolling out the dispute with wrote to an end
on atrium access and on those platforms. Yet, and probably the future
streaming worse. It turns out tony doesn't like that,
swimming wars at all you'll. Hereby here's one thing I want to call out. I asked tony point blank
eighteen tee. What excuse hbo max from its data cabs or give it priority access to its network over netflix and other services? You hear tone
so they ve, had the conversations about it, but he didn't know the answer. Is it happened?
I later taught you an eighteen to executive, familiar with the situation who told me that Israel max is indeed excused from eighteen to state a caps. So if you pay for a plan that has ten gigs amount of data netflix, we use that data, but a trio max will not
If you have an a t and unlimited plan, you probably know that there's a cap on the amount of data you can use before your speeds are throttled well atrium
eggs from count against that either
accordingly executive. I talk to all this is accounted for, something eighteen. He calls sponsored data which
if we allow any company to excuse itself from the data caps. The difference here, of course, is that eighteen teeth owns hbo max, so it's a socially.
Paying itself is just moving money from one part of eighteen t to another for netflix or hulu wanted to be excused from the data caps. They'd have to pay a tnt real money, it's pretty tricky! So that's that
influx. The explained all in all, there's a lot going on in this interview, everything from marketing strategy to whether or not there should be ad supported version to the snyder cut and data cat question aside tony wasn't afraid to go deep and how he and eighty are thinking about it
max check out. Turning in solve ceo of hotter media
tony- can solve as you're the ceo of otter media agency, which importantly means you're in charge of hbo, max welcome to the verse cast tax avenant awesome day. Yet
the asia acts launched yesterday. Can I quickly just ask you where you can change your title, the ceo of hbo max? It feels like that you should be out there
I'm atrium acts like when we heard
in this, as in other media, that there was a thing but eight
max is like these. They marry think about changing it.
Otto media still a thing and it sir, it's a digital first van centric media company and that centrally
hbo max is you know it, sir? It sits, leaning bet it off for a company like warner media, and it's about certain advance that I spent very very little time. Thinking about my title. I dislike they close to the metal, James baker.
Make, makes great stories built great products that puts about the marketplace. Commie janitor rule for all. I care,
we ve got a title. The progress episode, something so that's what you want we'll go with it.
Give people your backstory out before we started just a minute ago. I with you, you haven't done a lot of.
castro, videos or something that gives people just your back
for you to give a sense of renewed,
in and around eighteen t. Directv just give people that the thirty second version is the ten second version
of equity would in time or authority, but I'll try. You can have any doubt that the thatcher look I've been
I've been around for debating tv companies for longer than I probably would like to admit, but have actually been in it. I've been in this industry,
it also a little longer than I'd like to admit. I was at the- I was at directv for a good chunk of time had a number of jobs. You know roles there and I you know when eighteenth he came knocking to acquire the company. I was running the digital products group, so I was
centrally charged with you know, transitioning a satellite pity the operator into a modern world of digital and mobile content, aggregation and liberal you now
I'd, be lying. If I told you that I will,
excited to sort of come along for the ride when a tv came along, but you know, given the work that I was doing in the plan
from the eighteenth. He was in the vision that John sankey and randall stephenson had to bring connectivity and content together I jumped on board and man. I have just never looked back. You know when I was a directv. I spent five years trying to build directv now right, try to take the company over the top, and it took me five months at eighteenth. He sort of make that happen.
which ultimately is you know kinda. What led to you know a moment like yesterday with h, b, o mac. So I did that for a bit I was I was. The head of strategy can sell long john for a bit of time worked on the vertical integration,
I didn't get into the content space I oversaw the
We, the investment and other media, and at the right time sort it took the helm about business and turned it from
You know what was essentially a set of venture investments to an operating company and then last year John called an asteroid. He asked if I would be interested in taking the charge and taken the lead
your max, and you know I was ecstatic and get
so you're. Here we are so asia max the streaming service is part
otter media instead of eighteen
you're, the sea of outer media and at reports up in,
the larger warner media portfolio which report ceasing to I just want to make that orchard is
I think most people don't see it. But here your group is in charge of atrium acts, the service
as I report into one immediate agenda which is bought greenbacks
division inside wanna, media and
overseeing the portfolio of outer media companies as well as the you know, as well as the development launching the business operations of of hbo max,
eysines, you just say such a big company owners, many many names, so I want to make sure we will get a sense of responsibility. That said,
launch. Yesterday. Congratulations, that's always exciting! How'd, it go! Look! I've I've been around
You know launches of new products for a long time. I've done for you.
as so I've seen I've seen the good I've seen the bad I've seen the ugly yesterday.
It is a pretty incredible day. I mean you know me
We we launched a product, I think seamlessly and we put an incredible volume.
Of great stories in front of consumers. The passion and engage with that were saying around the content. Offering is just you know, that's incredible, and so
look all in all. We had a great day yesterday, the team at a great day,
The company had a great day. You know the incas dry and chapter one in words having to start writing chapter two now just gimme a client like
sense of honor launch day. How are you?
spending your time. Are you just watching a dash for
sign up, sir you,
phone, I just watching over- to see episodes of acting on their forests like
Who are you spend your time? Yeah. Look.
Success in an organization is when you build a system
who's under which you know people say
take the helm and run with something
of this order of magnitude right, and so you spend a long time,
I'm sort of organizing and putting up
people in seeds in away
priorities and building process to enable
seamless, watch and south ossetia
talking to somebody about this earlier earlier this morning, I love being in the engine room. I love touching, I love being you know close to the metal, but obviously the environment. We're in right now doesn't allow, for you know physical war rooms
to be you not to be part of the launch plan, and so we had to virtual. I just about everything itself. I spent a good amount of the last couple of days.
I am cause, I you know just sort of ensuring that folks had the resources that they needed to to go and then on slack channels watching the activity and the
again supporting the team when they needed to be supported and getting out of the frequent way when they didn't need anything for me. But do you know
monitoring, a slack channel or two or three and is watching ruben.
the team sorted it go on x platform, yet go on. Why platform?
you know, identify the issues in our quickly resolving them. That's how I spent probably on my last by last twenty four hours yourself. I'm interested
just cause. Now you guys are officially, I think in this
streaming war space in a way that even with directv now, which is now
can t to be now
what's in in many ways by this time
In november, twenty nineteen doktor d1 launch doesn't come out, and so we had ten million. Subscribers are very happy with that and he know. Thank you the other day that we're not trying to compete with netflix we're not going to compete with disney by the level of success tends to be measured now in this room or space with subscriber numbers, and I know that you can't give them to us unless you would very much like.
We get them to us, but I'm interested to know where your levels are in terms of people coming on with new customers, vs people rolling in from h, b, o now subscriptions and kind of through their own cable packages that you have partners
the flats yeah. Look we're we're, not we're not in a place to reveal numbers, although I think it feels to me like you're, going to ask me that a couple of times
I say like six times it's on here like easily six times.
the early early early innings, but I think a couple of things I think to that question-
reference streaming. War is a couple of times and that question- and I have to tell you
I'm a very different perspectives of that term. I think it's.
I think, it's largely a misnomer like we're. Not at war with this in a period of time
Our consumers engage were content I like to think about. It is
wherein a period of re, aggregation of contents and you're, seeing the super networks emerge, and it doesn't look that different than when broadcast he be launched wendy
a few television channels, networks that aggregated content delivered it over broadcast and what sort of a position now where the contents it ain't.
Needed at a much much larger scale in and around these incredible brands and delivered over the internet, and so there's room, I think for more than one. I think
This is me, and so it's not it.
Not a zero sum game. It's not a winner takes all. I really think we're just you know we're in a period of like soup
Networks are emerging at its spring for consumers. It is fair to say, though, that you guys are currently at war with Iraq, you an amazon.
There is. There is a debate happening in many ways is like a reverse carriage dispute that we're seeing where these aggregate
We now have a lot of power because people are using them towards assuming services. It's. Why doesn't he made a lad eleventh hour deal with amazon? It's? Why we're seeing all these things happening? Obviously
nice. It eleventh hour deal of comcast yesterday on amazon. Stinky is pretty much said, probably not:
happened right now, rogue who the obvious question he did instil insinuate at a recent conference that the partnership was coming,
When is that coming because it was funny to me yesterday seeing roku trending above h, b, o max, because people were like how do I watch this on roku your outlook, you're being you're on the platforms that being available on
I'd, forms that consumers be used to act.
As these neo, these new networks really really important, but
There are certain business models that that exist and weeks.
Have our own look. We just go back to the fact that I think we just starting.
a very, very different place. Look we have thirty.
If civilian existing subscribers that have already gone in their pocket and voted to
strive to a product and we're making that product better. We think the value proposition there we just want to be treated fairly. We want to be up looking
yeah, disney, plus and netflix and hulu, and these other apps you know
On the other, those platforms and there's a certain business model that that exists and- and we just beyond which we want someone
and and autumn elderly. I like, I am hopeful that ultimately will get there and we'll get
with consumer mind, but me now we just didn't get there. They want,
had those thirty million subscribers. You mentioned an automatically upgraded. Are they now in the max space that you're seeing cause? It feels like that's the obvious upgrade, so you guys should have you know max, should launch with thirty million cause. There's there that's an orchestra
if you're, already rolling up. Are you seeing that translate one hundred per cent and we're not like? I said I'm not I'm not that she that second time you asked
about I'd gotten younger, say I shouldn't have told you. It was six, not I'm not at a should go into the details on the numbers below
we can do the math in and around the how many you know how
and be beady subs mammy hbo subscribers sorry have access to the product and died. You know we think we got a compelling compelling content offering in, but it's not a sprint like it's gonna. Take it's gonna take time. It's gonna take time
and where we were excited about. The journey, let me just try to unpack through the recoup dispute for the audience and because it is it's really complicated on every
I have all- and I just want to get your perspective on it and also hope, hopefully have the listener kind of understand. What's going on, it's a roku
almost no money solely hardware they make
of their money. Taking account.
in at purchases running, adds stuff
Are you saying that the deal that the netflix and disney's get on the rocard platform
you're not getting that they are offering you the same deal or you want a better deal than the netflix's and the disney scott for in app purchases. Sign up spare all that stuff. Look. I don't know what specific deals that others have with either roku or any of the platforms, but I know the deal
that we have with apple. I know the deal that we have a google. I know the deal that we have with the with the other platforms and there's a certain business model, and we are happy to pay people to help us acquire subscribers and
it's a began, its pre standard way of doing business, and so I don't want to get too deep into the details of the
of the impasse. If you will, I got were in right now by dinner, but there's is a pre
standard way of bringing
these acts to market on these platforms forms in anywhere on yeah and where we're focused with weird man. That's password.
we stand by our disaster? Use? What are you gonna gears and hold out until, like this latter caught heads and
an army of DC fans like I want this on my roku and they have to cave because that's like what happened with fox in the superbowl right it at some point fox has had to cave and give roku subscribe,
where's the superbowl. Are you? Are you saying eventually that demand
is it me so high that is just have to cave. Look at you know I dunno caving is actually were the way to think about it. I just
I think the consumer when, at the end of the day- and I think we ve put together a product offering that has multiple snyder cuts
it's god, it's got up.
Is it ever a negative that there's multiple snyder know it look. I I reference snyder cut the reference to snyder cut there is that it's a it's a passionate fandom yeah right there there's a passionate fandom around friends,
is a passionate phantom. You know ran harry potter. It is a passionate found them around. I mean
You name it on that platform, the dc. You know that the sea library there's a passionate family around cruncher or passion standing around studio jubilee there
The difference between a phantom, around cider cut, which has targeted a lot of fort directors who worked with warner brothers, has targeted groups onto
and although there's positives of that fandom, there are a lot of overwhelming negatives, which many smart critics have written about. There's difference between that fandom and that a friends or harry potter,
or which hasn't necessarily gone out of the way for three years to demand certain things in the kind of way that the center cut fandom has- and I wonder if you worried all about the precedent that sets cars right after that,
out, there started we're going to get an air cut? First, the suicide squad david air cut, and I Jan
We wonder if that was something that warrior media took into consideration when they may. That cut was this. What does it look like the precedent that it sets right now? You're, look are definitely not a precedent and you're right, girls, your friend
The fandoms there's, there's a fan, the phantom you just described and theirs and there's you know, there's other fanned upside is my reference to the phantoms. Is the fact that, where a space, where
consumers are allowed consumers guide and yeah. I like we have the wheel, we absolutely have to listen. I know, as industry, I add,
I think once said, you know, industry, consumers, industry always on, but consumers do tend to win to win, looked a, and I think you think I think, when it comes to video when it comes to entertain it when it comes
Contact consumers have never had more choice and they ve never had more of a voice, but look that does it mean that you have to go
or that we will. You know you going, you know, invest our dollar
in every single pocket and every single fan than that exists, but I think the reference to the snyder cut and the friends vandam is the fact that you know consumers are speaking and we have the will to listen
I think you know it doesn't mean that we're going to go redo every movie every movie ever made, but I think that we have to be. You know we, we
if we have to have our ear to the ground, and I think we do I mean look. I just go back to like look at the buzz. The harry potter library sort of brought us yesterday was a wonderful surprise and delight because consumers are passionate. You know about these franchises so there's just not
over compared to disney, but when disney plus launched similar, buys what oh, my gosh, all the star wars movies again
how to get in
Another thing that I heard particularly than our nerd world I live in, is well. I can,
all this always movies and four k hdr with atmos right. They got remastered for streaming. You can deliver them in higher quality. Eighty
max so far, no foretaste yarn, hdr vision. No at most is.
Stuff coming was out on the road map and too hard to do is added mastering problem? What does it look like the outlet there are? I can you know man if you want to go
I'm not gonna, go have a feature dialogue
with you, but as somebody that likes to get close to the metal, I can tell you that there are a lot of there's a lot of features right.
a lot of a lot of capabilities that we'd like to that. We would have liked launcher it that we did and it just comes down to like a matter of priority and getting your product to market. It's not what you're you know when you're asking about.
Kay and age. The iron out like not unimportant, and definitely something on the road map. It had to be a deliberate choice, strike
what to launch with thin and when I let those traders happen to happen daily,
and die, and so look our it'll come it wasn't. It wasn't forgotten. I think it was just ass. It was a deliberate priorities here
but you have to go in ramallah. If you said you can watch all of game of thrones and four k, you aren't when we in the scenes
it's dark aren't too dark anymore in it
amazon. You see and hear the dragon.
Everyone. Would just registry watch game France tomorrow right and you dry that subscriber base
Is that on your mind, is a thing that you think we'll drive subscribers.
We master you have to readjust. You have to build capability into the product, and then you have to sort of set back in and say
Is that something you do today, or is that something you do in a month? Is that something you do in three against what other priorities and so yeah? Do I I don't like do I think that at all? Yes, it will
every individual feature. A capability has an opportunity to drive customers,
dr acquisition, dr engagement and what we think we think video quality,
and is is one of them for again a certain a certain type of consumer and certain fanbase. So you know I'll. I'm excited for the dated. Look I'm a I'm a geek, I'm as much of a product than a tech geek as I am a business geek, and so
I personally cannot wait for the day that I can. I can rewatch game of to your to europe,
For example, we know in forecast.
each yarn loss and that they will come along with many many.
Many many other features and conscience like you know that
This is how you up your team is working on diligently. You mentioned that there
certain things you just had to leave off that launch because you're watching this, we know these things happen you weeks months ahead, you start working on things when it your max bid launch. Yesterday there were a couple of people on twitter. More than
couple who are pointing out that their research problems that certain episode mitzvah I miss functioning, were happening and I'm just wondering what are the biggest issues that you guys saw on day, one because every company that wants distributors has issues like it just happens, and what are your most high prior right now in order to get fixed, look beers
gillian woody out there's a there's all day long list, but it's actually not as long as as one would expect than I think you ve just pointed to some of that
you know some of the opportunities in some of the things that people working on so largely out many data, which then ultimately is
so the drives. You know DR some research issues, etc is one of them and that its aim is working on that today.
I think largely be ashamed
gotta go down. I can go down
long list of things that people actually haven't seen that you know that exist.
I'll trade. You outrage you one.
the user number questions for one of those issues
as I was just your horse trader at here now
not going to do that this afternoon,
that I was going to take my shots. Where I get a man I, like I said I I've been through a number of these launches. We had a really solid launch. Yesterday, you expect you expect some issues
and, like I said, I think, the issue that your point into is is one but
You know this is a pretty solid. All
There was a a thing that went around twitter or things go around and twitter. Often there was a thing that went on twitter yesterday said I thought was funny
I just wanted to get your opinion on it, which was somebody noted I that hp max didn't crash, which is very impressive, because disney plus crashed when it launched, and someone pointed out. I wonder if that means that there just weren't as many people signing like playing it at once, that there weren't that many people on a compare to
you over eastern disney plus again not should look at numbers in user numbers, but specifically like what was that day. One activity like where you gonna sing spikes the minute a kind of launched, or was it pretty steady, throw the day where you guys in the usage numbers you wanted to see day one,
Julia. I gotta commander. You are so good at your job. You try and fifteen different ways to canada, get too kind it yet
Ask her that's four! By the way, I want to point that out, I'm just gonna it's for I'm, just gonna put it to the empty greek, etc.
Please I'm sure I won't be the last year's another like yours is another example of like starting from a completely different place. This is the platform
five million concurrent users on Sunday night watching game of so we ve been
through this scale, the scaling you know journey of the platform like what
start writing code from scratch. We started
it is already caps from scratch. We started building building new features from scratch, but this is a it's a pretty strong foundation that we that we built on right and so on here. But here's the
I will tell you just to get you just to give you a little bit of an egg it. We were in credibly pleased with the amount of engagement that we had on a producer basis on the platform and the fact that there was double the contents
the platform verses. What exists at each be out the fact that the content was indeed broader and appeal to not of demographics definitely gave us a sense of comfort that it was raising out at its root.
what consumers now we gotta go, sustain that right and so look lot of focus right on yesterday for the launch of yesterday, but what's wrong
amber man. This is a long long road, we closed chapter, one
We are now writing chapter two, and this is
we'll be there.
If volumes and volumes volumes, it's not going to be one, it's not going to be
It's not going to be one movie that could be night and we're just at the beginning, hey I'm ryan reynolds at mid mobile. We like to do the opposite of what big wireless. Does they charge you a lot? We charge you a little so naturally, when they announced they'd be raising their prices due to inflation, we decided to deflate our price
is due to not hating you. That's right. We're cutting the price of mint, unlimited from thirty dollars a month to just fifteen dollars a month, give it a try: men, mobile dot com, slash switch new activation, an opera payment for three month plan required taxes, and these extra additional restrictions apply. Seamen, mobiles outcome for full terms, we with our eyes and our mouths
Obviously, but also our brains noon can help. You learn more about that psychological component to healthy eating, new music, science and
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they at noon dot com, that's in o m dot com to sign up for your trial today. So I brought up that the notion that
You ve already had a platform doing this. This is something to me that I am quite realise hbo max.
built on on the bones of hbo. Now right when I
the ep. Yesterday my hbo now app upgraded to each hbo max's.
Is it the same basic infrastructure there
It's the same. It's the same infrastructure that you know that that was built ways with adopted for you not multi tendency rights,
a ate the you know, the h b, o now app had all of the h b, o service, H, b, o max now built on our cloth.
And as the age of your service, as well as a variety of other, we'll call them content hubs, and so we had to you know we sort of had to adapt to that.
and yes, we have to build incremental functionality and thread pipe to curation, an audio and editorials ancient content, the download capability etc, but, but it is at the core and it's the h b, o now platform which, like I said, had nearly five million concur,
users act at peak with the you know in support of game of thrones. So I think this brings me to the kind of the big question
with eighteen tees, media properties in general, which is that there are a lot of them
They all have very similar names and it seems like just
understanding how to get h b, o max how to get it. Maybe
bundled into your wireless stealer, with your cables
christian or how it relates to each
he'll go or eighteen,
He tv now or all of the other things might be a directive subscriber is actually
cleared up because it seems like that is the biggest
confusion that eighteen years account
needs to solve, is directing people to the appropriate product, offer an offerings it, making it simple to just
Adam. So is your question? Is it going to get simpler for people to buy h, b, o max then my question is: can you name all of the h b, o media properties that exist and how much they cost? Because I, like I, couldn't right now:
and the yesterday when people are asking us when we are doing,
it just right. In article two service stood
I reader interest in how many eighteen te properties are there and how do they relate to each other? Yet look nearly it's talking to. I can go through like two different, it's two different questions and so I'll take him I'll. Take him in those buckets look: eighteen teams holding company and eighteenth. He has many products, including broadband products, including mobile products, yeah. It's it's
it's a portfolio of consumer and business to business products. One of those portfolios is dead me, a company in which
you know in which XP assets, so I'm gonna take the video question in sort of, like I said id like to back and swine. It's the direct consumer sort of more as fine on demand kind of bucket, and then the second is the mvp dps and eighteen tv
has been sorted. It will call it that the re brand of a variety of eighteen t written
see video offerings in adding and that's where the company landing zone
therein me there there are in the process of rebranding, but that's it. That's the empty pd product right, that's the pay tv product, I think
The question you are ultimately asking is question: that's not unfamiliar
We it s a lot like go b o ago, hbo max, and so let me let me try to simplify
if we were starting from zero.
should we really easy, because there
can be any legacy, but they wouldn't be any serbs
they wouldn't be any any any any
libraries, to sort of built from anyone be any revenue to build. A new ground
from an so yeah. Is it complicated sure, but will I take an existing business with an incredible content, library and incredibly
I conic brand that is aspirational like hbo
versus zero? One hundred percent I'll take the blessing and a curse all at the same time, now you're asking a very, very specific question and I actually think it's important to kind of get to that question. H b, o max is our platform
and it's gonna be a workforce. I said it during an investor day. I said in a couple of interviews, and I think it's really really important to do that. All that said we are not leaving customers.
and if they choose to engage with each logo and that's where a cable subscriber wants to consume h b, o content, we're going to let them for a period of time
you pointed to your experience with hbo now, which is the app just got upgraded, and so
or we can and where we feel it's appropriate, we'll upgrade the app. I think in the next three to six months. Oregon is going to become evident that Hb omax rate is our, is our workhorse and is er? You know in is the platform where multiple brands
but back here we ve got. We got through that consumers deserve. We got business partners to serve him when a bit of a transition so
you know. Look I I commend you for the question because it
it's an interesting one and it drives a lot of dialogue. But you know appling.
google users yesterday got an incredible surprising delight when their hbo now I've just just upgraded itself to double the content,
the rhetorical, etc, etc. You know, ultimately, ultimately, the ultimate with
want to get everybody there. But it's stupid oven. It's just a bit of it. Trying to transition period and, like I said, I'd I'd rather take the transition
then start from zero isa and customers or service and for a while to come.
you know a shrill go is the app years if you have an existing cable or satellite, some ships in, and you want to login with your cable credentials and stream over the top right. That's actually the apple use. More than now I pay for everything I really,
Stop it anyway! Court cutting is obviously dramatically exhilarating everyone's bedding,
just going to move to services like israel max and the future pale. A cart. Are you just expecting h, b o go to kind of disappear over time as people just cut the cord? Actually, what we're expecting given the success that we've had in?
closing your closing. It deals with the envy. The community is that subscribers start using hbo max as a place to
very trio service as well as always had a content and at such times that we feel like a good volume, if not the entirety, of,
makes his engaging on that about platform verses. Another room will make a decision
but right now I mean you just said a man like you know, you knew prefer to go to you
hbo got. I really encourage you to use hbo max, primarily because it's got more content and its
if you're, using h, b, o go because you're, a cable subscriber chances are that you can just you can just lie again: teach b, o max network. On the eighteenth he front, you asked you asked another question, which is how to get it and that's another one like how incredible is it for a company to have built in distribution and be able to give consumers incremental value,
we're being a connectivity sub right like if you're an atm t premium, mobile or broadband or tv sub, you got Hb max and don't come out cos. I think what often gets forgotten is how important scale distribution is a the direct consumer world at the company's three point, two billion interactions with consumers. Every year I mean how strategic is that as part of an offering when you're, when you come into market like this, and so I looked at again,
I embedded bases legacy products companies that have been around a long time. You know it's it's a gift. Quite frankly, I think what we are. We just chatted navigate the education right for consumers, but consumers have a lot
opportunities to get into hbo max away that, I think other folks. Just just don't ask so he had to leave
when talking about tvs and and tv platforms, but is eighteen tea at cynthia it's like a mobile carrier. That's a big business
Have you got to the point we are in asia?
cigarette promoted on eighteen t, phones, we're gonna, bundle the pricing in different ways,
that's the real win of agency owning were media. Right is building new kinds of packages, for mobile has not happened yet or is. Are we just.
we had a launch it. We have to figure out our amazon deal like. Where are you now thinking now? Look, that's what I mean. Arguably that's where we see that's what we're
starting. You know. If you have a premium, unlimited tier of of of of eighteen t mobile, you get h, b, o max included. That means you got eighteen si dot com today and you know a all
where the waves eaten, yet they reach their max. Are there so it his bundle, its pre loaded on the android phones,
reloaded Annie and dried
enjoyed, oh ass, a contingency box and its included with a variety of eating packages. So, like I said back, that's that's extremely strategic, like you know we're
company that engages with consumers at mass mass scale that has packaged and embedded bundle, the hbo maxwell
what does issue max hit the eighteenth ieee data cap on mobile, dwell if you're, if it's packaged on, if it's packaged in the unlimited plan right, it's unlimited and so
by nature, but are still like had twenty two gig. I think it's way too,
rights unlimited, but after twenty two ear swedes drop in on it
there's like the video sabre. If I want to just watch
Israel max all day on eighteen t LP does that
get preferential treatment to netflix or something you know ensuring shouldn't. Well now we are again. This is a fairly broad question ion
preferential treatment and and wouldn't work treating treating data the same way for you know for everyone, and so it as of as of right now it's included in,
yeah it's included in the unlimited data package? I actually, I don't know the answer to that question,
and I think it is one of the things I I gotta drive my team online
it's ok to saddle now. So I don't know the answer to that specific question:
they then its, including the unlimited package, but come on circle back with that.
Yeah. I'm sure it just seems like that.
An obvious is you're. Talking to you can t scale such wines with consumers. It feels
the reason I a communicated to you would want to make a huge investment,
an warner media in building out of life? On the history of max,
in an odyssey in this country without
net neutrality rules. It would be very easy to say our platform is going to stream for free. It's gonna have higher video quality. It son, you will always have a thing:
Just now, data channel available to you versus the sweeter
It's just an obvious advantage. Eighteen, he could give itself. It sounds like if you don't
then maybe you haven't even have a conversation on outlook. We ve had a conversation.
I Don'T- I don't know where we landed? I think on on the specifics of on the specifics of data caps, and so I think that's something something I personally have to go circle back on, but I think to your point: the opportunity is to redefine the
handle right. Your connectivity and content gotta come together in the same way that it came together.
in the early days of the trip on the quadruple play and die, and I think that's what we're starting to see at this point in time. Right, like the network, is appalling and the content is the water
anything and water, and you know the water in the coming and I do not have to come together. Not you,
when we began work on the matter.
Usually don't want the plumbing in the water, but I take your point bringing back to the kind of hbo max. Are they single experience? There were reports agreed last year that there would be an advertising supported component coming. That would be
a cheaper tier, I'm wondering if there's any development is on that. Is that still planned
If so, what is the branding for that? Is it like t J, max hbo max were yet like an extra acts at the end and that
How you know. That's the add. A third in hydrogen like I'm just because I feel like a bot is justice within the s bought world is just as crucial, and I know it's something you guys you're thinking about is that some in your plantings launched twenty twenty years.
Twenty twenty one goal: twenty twenty two july. I am going to invite you into the next march
and brandy beginning is, I think, the ass. I was brilliance, brayley s brilliance.
That's a commitment by the way Julia is coming to your next branding meeting, or rather that's a that's. Our next feature talk about asleep.
behind the curtain. Look not many get that invitation by the way. Look we're on day, two of the subscription
offering that we worked really really hard to get to get too, and that's I don't mean to put the question other than like
That's what I'm focused our right now! That's team is focused on right now. That said, I think, as a business, a two sided business model. For you know, contents aggregation,
form, is really really important and we are evolving. Are advertising based offering and strategy nothing more to kind of share at this point, because again we are myopic. We focused on what's in front of us right,
but we do think it's important that we bring consumers of riding different offerings radiated from price points and
this is this is just the sort of just beginning work so that the press point, because the fifteen
all errors. I know, there's a twelve dollar one year thing that each go max has, which I believe is like about par with. Netflix is most popular plan before very excited by it. But no
it's fifteen, and I'm wondering if that is a. I saw that you mentioned that that was what you ended on. They wonder if there's room for you guys to lower than the future, especially in this current market, where people are losing their jobs.
fifteen dollars is a lot of money to spend on a streaming service compared to a disney plus, which is seven dollars, even an apple tv plus just five dollars, and I'm wondering if there's a chance for us to bring that down or if that gets into concerns with the carriers were that's a staple at fifteen dollars, isn't the cable packages, you can't go below that it's! What every other kind of district distribution partner, you're working with is offering at a lot of consumers, can get a free reference to it and I'll continue to reference it. You know thirty plus.
In subs today, many of which can just download an app and light in with their providers credentials and don't have to pay a penny more. So that's number one number two. You know a lot of eighty customers can get it for free, just bundled into their connectivity and tv products, and so there's a lot of opportunities to get this product at
a lot less right, if not entirely last rate at zero versus the fifty dollar direct consumer price point. As far as price points concerned, you don't go into these things blindly and there are business implications and there are consumer implications on price points. We could have gone higher because we doubled the amount of content. We chose not to do that week
chose instead to give people twice the content for the same price as are offering h, b o, because those h b, o subs, have essentially already voted right, that they would pay? And so look pricing involves? Pricing will evolve over a period of time. You referenced one opportunity to sort of get to a more affordable price point and sort of brought in the funnel with advertising. But again we have you know we have. We have a product that I think, I think offers it pretty fast
probably in the fact that the it's got an incredible amount of content, high quality content- and you know we landed on the price point actually fairly comfortably, and I think we got a snare frankly that there are opportunities for sewers to get the product for less than fifteen bucks. You know across across a variety of
different channels, the you mention content and I would not dare to do my job if I didn't addressed. Arguably the biggest conversation was streaming right now, which is the wars with the theatrical bottle,
what's happening are now warner, media obviously brought school to people premium, video on demand and it will eventually to hbo man
Warner media made a lot of news when you guys announced a new studio which is dedicated to kind of building these mid tier films that will go directly to max directly to premium video. How do you guys think about what gets a theatrical release versus? What doesn't? How is that pipelining works? A lotta people still see it as if this goes to a streaming service exclusively, it's not as good as what would end up in a theater and although that might feel like an outdated idea. I think it's how people still picture it, because if it's a big movie, why wouldn't just go to the theater? But you guys are investing super hard into content for each bill max specifically, and interest
and what designates like what gets the each film actually versus what gets of much wider, theatrical release. Look. I wish I could give you a formula
quality. As you know, these things
the sort of on a case by case basis? The one thing I think
important to sort it is to tackle in this in
at this time and then send them with this issue in particular, is that you know the current situation has soared
required a number of businesses to sort of rethink. You know how to go to market now to get the consumer is, and I think we ve we ve seen the premium via the space. Gotta be an outlet for you now for films,
new platforms, be an outlet for films, but unlike series, where there is more than sort of one hour to hour, slot films, sort of other features error
one shot deal and and so
well early in the game era, to really understand the value of the feature versus a series right in a in a streaming platform, and but I think you know, the options are vast at this point in time. Look I was at directv
one time ago, I ran what we call it upgrade marketing at the time, which essentially is six existing customer revenues. It was the tv store, it was a premium business. It was the live events business and we were one of the first at that point in time to test premium beauty, and we just opted not to progress, because you know the math didn't work. The question is: is the math going to work now for premium beauty?
at what level of investment and, as you know, is aid is a five hundred million dollar film. Is. It is liable to sort of leniency
maybe idea and our streaming for distribution. Can you get enough value back verse?
is a thirty forty, fifty million dollar film or a tunnel.
I mean dollars film, and so I can't give you specific sitting around how we
gunnar media are gonna lean
or how we is H. Your max are gonna lean specific.
we in and around our films with it features are important for the platform, and so when an incredibly
interesting period of change. With respect to this topic, and I used to be a ton of innovation
tyler test test them learn in the toilet trial. You know how to coming down the pie again. Well, I'm fascinated by this bye. Bye bye
this conversation will be in one year when we're all
this challenge and will work
we ve had an opportunity to
to test and learn in a meaningful way,
to date we have only a few minutes here I wanted the zoom out you ve ever heard of a couple, a big themes
several times. Wine is the idea that were re aggregating. There's these
New super platforms are super networks that are being built.
another one is just distribute
and I was eighteen years- big distribution network, it seems
like there's a pretty big tension between who owns the
in her face of your team.
service who gets
bill you, what bundle that build gets you write like apple, for example, when we talk about this machine-
the time they desperately want their tv app to actually just be the interface, the apple tv, but it's like not quite good enough and
netflix, won't given the data or the show recommendations you decided to do it like who do you think ends up owning sort of that customer relationship, because if I look at it with a lot,
view, I'm paying you fifty dollars a month and paying netflix somalian thing dizzy some money,
I don't know where shows are like search, discoveries horrid across all those things I rather like pay. It cable companies
one amount of money and get their guide and haven't they really get like it feels
where's, cruising right back towards that model. Yeah. Look, I think, there's like love this question and to barriers,
minutes left everytime time. You said that what you've meant is I hate this question and I am eager for this to be a look yeah, I mean we can talk shop about this stuff all day long. We are undoubtedly
in a period of re aggregations like I know,
sounds like you think back. You know, broadcast few channels
then cable and satellite emerged lots of channels. We know which arguably worthy
later is more so than the aggregator is and the other day
go satellite companies worthy where the mass distributors, they were the ones sort about the tipp of his spear with the consumer relationship, the internet change that
We're not change that an eighty and eighty eight in a meaningful way, and it sir it's a gift and
It enables what we're scenes
which is these
This re aggregations content that gets consolidated into a super network which we call it up, but he still gotta get it to the consumer, and so the question
is, is there another version of the cable distributor emerging? And what does that look like this,
It is a comcast x, one and eighteen t tv. Is it a social platform? Is it the app stores and I think, there's a there's? No, like. I can't give you an answer as to what it's going to be but like, I am incredibly excited sort of
playing innocent playing into space with a platform like hbo max with content, offering MIKE
your max where we can command the attention that consumers and we can command it. Well,
and so look? I don't know where this is gonna end up by.
Really like I like our hand and
I think there is a way to sort of thread this leader. I mean you look at you
What we're doing any apple tv up experience and you can search for just about you- can search for all the content.
that is I'm hbo hbo max, but it plays back on it
on hbo max up. That seems like a good that seems a good balance where you can search and discover
Is that a good business bounds for you, because they stop and in europe? Or is that the correct balance for the consumer? Because I
it that is a you consumer technology critic and I'm like
interface is designed to confuse me like there's a business.
I promise here where you want them in your app.
wants to the sort of surgeons.
Every interface and in that
I, as a user, rarely know where I am as I use the apple tv yeah, but look like the flipside to that is as a consumer. You can jump into the hbr max out and
the ideal business and consumer in a sort of end point is that you not relief
you never have to go. I should like to yeah that's
without your ideal out like there are still
I was on other platforms, I'd like to watch right, yeah and so we're in a place of either the consumer, accepting and engaging right wit
the universal search that exists where the universal or you know.
the or the discovery at that exists on a platform or going
visual lapse, and I think the answer for now is gonna, be both what this looks like in. You know two three, four: five,
years a bit of an unknown by again pretty fascinate
certainly in the middle of it and be in the middle of it, with a platform and in offering location,
relax. We are now, I think, fully at a time. I ask every serious question,
So I want I want to make sure ass. You too,
nothing to do with any of this.
When do you work,
this is. I literally ask every ceo this question mostly because I just need the advice. How do you bracket your time? So you can find time to
yeah use all your competitor, apps or like write the email, instead of just being in meetings only one yeah, that's a that's a tux and I work when I need to work I have found I have found. I
guys I've. As I worked more more years, I found that balance and priority. I really really important, and so
creating a bit of a divisions. I'll give you an example like have two phones of personal phone and our work on
idea. There's two abyssinia just absolutely separate email. There is a time where my work fond doesn't leave my home office
is not in my pocket, where I, after completely disconnect. But for me, given that my team
the so spread out. I do tend to go later as opposed to earlier right, so I'm in new york, you I can to start my day-
I have thirteen as opposed to seven in the morning, because ongoing till about eight or nine at night, just sort of you know, keep up with the west coast. I have young kids and that that I'm, like
master like me in sixteen? I love spending time retirement so weakened
to me tend to be really really sacred. You know for covered. I was on a plane all the time.
and I just made it. I mean
it, not only a goal, but an absolute rule that I was home by friday and I spent a week out my kids himself.
the space to spend spend time a family. I tend to go a little bit later, and I do tat to you
is the time to have in the morning to it really
this shell, like do things that I yet
things that I enjoy gonna, get just get into a good into a good myspace. That's great!
I will tell you that you are taking all of the time. It's was only
I've. So just ass question hemison travesty of restarting restarting we're starting from a different bathed in love with me.
I love it. Thank you so much for joining us. What will have to have a vaccine? This was great conversation. Thanks guys take care
all right. My thanks to turning its always from atrium max really came out that dude. I think he did a pretty good job,
Julia, sheeted grape. We are unfair.
The church, others, obviously just a ton of news going on right now between the pandemic, the protests
there still still tat happening so so lost unpack on friday in the chat show and the
next tuesday will have another enemy shown on on guess. We ve got just incredible slate of areas coming up, I'm just really proud of the sign up,
we're moving things around to be on top of the news, but I don't think you're going to be disappointed. That's coming up on tuesday tweet at me,
Reckless love your feedback on the show, love hearing who you want me to talk to what you want to talk about. It is incredible
he saw, and I really appreciate It- everything safe,
taking care of yourself over your expressing yourself will talk to you soon. Hey, I'm ryan, reynolds at mid mobile. We like to do the opposite of what big wireless. Does they charge you a lot? We charge you a little so naturally, when they announced they'd be raising their prices due to inflation, we decided to deflate our
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Transcript generated on 2023-08-26.