Wonder Woman 1984 was about a magic stone that grants any wish you desire. Nothing too outlandish or crazy is beyond its power, and it can do everything from getting you a delicious cup of coffee to turning you into a superpowered Cats extra. But I’m betting if Warner Bros could use it, they’d wish HBO Max subscribers would stick around for the long haul.
New data from measurement company Antenna indicates that roughly half of people who signed up to watch Wonder Woman 1984 over the 2020/21 holiday season decided to cancel their subscriptions within a month (with 31% of them leaving within one month).
It’d be easy to throw some shade at Wonder Woman 1984 for subscribers canceling after seeing the movie, but these numbers are actually relatively good news. In December 2020/January 2021 a month’s subscription to HBO Max was $15 meaning that signing up to watch just one new blockbuster was great value for money, especially given that Disney Plus subscribers had to pay an extra $30 on top of their subscription for Mulan.
Warner Bros’ plan was that a decent chunk of those who subscribed for the movie would maintain their payments, either because they became addicted to the exclusive line-up or simply forgot to cancel. And, based on that, a 50% attrition rate over six months is a win.
Whether Warner Bros’ strategy of focusing on simultaneous theatrical and digital releases for major movies pays off, in the long run, remains to be seen. It’s notable that The Batman will be exclusive to theaters when it arrives next month, so chances are The Matrix Resurrections was the last blockbuster landing on HBO Max on release day for a while.
So, at least as far as boosting HBO Max subscriber numbers goes, Wonder Woman 1984 seems to have been a success.