Did WarnerMedia and AT&T Just Kill DC Universe for the Sake of HBO Max?
JB Augustine
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If you signed up for DC Universe but don’t yet subscribe to HBO Max, WarnerMedia made it easier for you to make that leap.
DC Universe subscribers are now being offered a discount to upgrade with a bundle. HBO Max, which is $14.99 a month, can be added onto a DCU plan for $4.99 as of June 30th.
“DC Universe has partnered with HBO Max to offer eligible monthly and annual members an opportunity to bundle and save,” goes the offer. All you have to do is go to the HBO Max site and redeem a promo code.
It’ll save you a couple of bucks, costing a total of $12.98 a month, but be sure to read the fine print first. After six months, the price reverts to Max’s normal monthly rate.
The deal is also only for “monthly subscribers who are in good standing,” whatever difference that makes. (Side note: I’m a subscriber and I found out I am eligible for the discount.)
This offer makes business sense and should’ve been done earlier. Disney Plus launched with a similar option to bundle its service with ESPN Plus and Hulu.
Related: The CW Will Air DC Universe’s Swamp Thing One Year After Cancellation
Comic Book Cast wasn’t optimistic in their news update about the bundle. They consider it the final nail in the coffin of DCU, likening it to AT&T and Warner taking the proverbial horse behind the barn.
After about a year, they see the bundle becoming a means of rolling over users to HBO Max. DC Universe would hypothetically be maintained as a comic library.
CBC notes the Harley Quinn animated series is headed to the Max and that programming is shared between the services but also loaned out to other streaming giants.
CW’s DC shows are still on Netflix for now and, while DCU has some exclusivity with Titans, the vanguard Original can be found on there in some corners of the world too.
Given that Doom Patrol, Stargirl, and even Swamp Thing are being shared with other content providers, “exclusivity” belongs in “sarcastic quotation marks” according to CBC.
Related: HBO Max Releases Sneak Peek at Zack Snyder’s Justice League
They report the last analysis estimates DC Universe’s total number of subscribers at “less than 150,000.” As “really low” and “abysmal” as that is, that was off the top of the narrator’s head.
He could be confusing that with the number of downloads in its first two weeks of service. The Mary Sue reported in Jan. 2019 the number of people downloading and installing at launch was 143K, but only a quarter of those stuck around to subscribe.
Numbers could be steady, going up or down, or within expectations. Unfortunately, figures are hard to find and there has not been much reportage on it in awhile – possibly over a year. DCU’s discussion forum has a small but ongoing thread about it.
ScreenRant reported, however, in May the app’s comic readership was up 35% with the stay-at-home orders in place. As far as revenue, data aggregator Sensor Tower calculates DCU’s worldwide revenue as of May 2020 at $700K. Downloads were at 80K.
Reports and rumors DC Universe is getting shut down keep coming and a few comments made by HBO Max Content Chief Kevin Reilly about DC series coming to his service don’t inspire great confidence.
That said, there is no official word or indication from AT&T on the matter.
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