By Liz Hobday
Stars of popular streaming series The White Lotus have brought the glamour to the Australian launch of streaming service Max.
But just like the opulent White Lotus resorts, a darker side lurks beneath the luxury.
Max is not just another streaming service entering the local market – it’s likely to disrupt the whole Australian industry. Again.
The US streamer brings with it HBO, Warner Bros, the DC Universe and Discovery content, not to mention Harry Potter.
HBO alone is known for premium titles such as The Sopranos, Game of Thrones and The White Lotus, while another drawcard is the upcoming season two of global hit The Last of Us.
Foxtel-owned streamer Binge had been the local home of Warner’s HBO content, but these shows are expected to switch across to Max – with subscribers to follow.
“I think we’ll see a mass exodus from Binge over to Max, and that leaves Binge in a precarious position,” said RMIT television industry researcher Alexa Scarlata.
Binge has some original Australian content to rely on, such as the award-winning comedy Colin From Accounts and a limited series adaptation of The Last Anniversary, from novelist Liane Moriarty.
There’s other international content such as Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, but will it be enough for audiences to stay?
As free-to-air audiences decline, 69 per cent of Australians paid for subscription streaming services in 2024, according to the Australian Communications and Media Authority.
What’s more, the average number of subscriptions has increased with Australians paying for an average of 4.3 video services, and more than half of those aged 35-44 paying for five or more.
Dr Scarlata predicts subscription cancellation rates will rise, with the launch of Max setting off a period of industry consolidation.
“What I anticipate in the next few years will be streaming services starting to gobble each other up and consolidate, because how many can we really sustain?”
Max has entered the market just on 10 years since the launch of Netflix disrupted Australia’s television industry, with titles such as House of Cards and Orange is The New Black.
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