Westworld may be launching from HBO Max, but you’ll still be able to watch it. And for free. In HBO Max’s latest 2022 surprise twist, the company announced that the popular sci-fi drama is one of many shows that will live on Free, Ad-supported TV (FAST) streaming services.
Today (December 14), HBO Max sent out an email to the press titled “HBO Max Content Moving to FAST,” which details the news that Warner Bros. Discovery (the parent company of HBO Max) has “recently decided to license some HBO and HBO Max original programming to FAST third-party services to be part of a syndicated offering.”
Popular FAST services include Roku’s The Roku Channel, Amazon’s freevee, and Viacom’s Pluto. The ad also indicates that Warner Bros. Express Discovery Service is in the works and that it will “announce additional details about its long-running WBD FAST shows in 2023”. It also confirms reports from the past few days that “As we prepare for this transition, this series will launch from HBO Max in the coming days.”
This announcement is the first time we’ve heard that the time traveler’s wife was joining Westworld and The Nevers as rare HBO shows off the platform. So far, only HBO Max Originals (the branding that was used as a selector) has been removed.
Every HBO Show and HBO Max Moves to FAST Services
HBO hasn’t announced the new homes for the following shows — or provided confirmation that it’s found destinations:
- Westworld – Seasons 1, 2, 3, 4
- The Nevers – Season 1
- Raised by Wolves – Seasons 1, 2
- FBOY ISLAND – Seasons 1, 2
- Mythic – Seasons 1, 2 and 3
- Finding Magic Mike – Season 1
- Class President – Season 1
- The Time Traveler’s Wife – Season 1
Other HBO Max shows have been wiped out
However, there is another batch of shows leaving HBO Max. This series is in early stages, and has not been “dedicated” to FAST services:
- Gordita Chronicles season 1
- Love Life – Seasons 1, 2
- Made for Love – Seasons 1 and 2
- The Garcias – Season 1
- Minx – Seasons 1, 2
Analysis: At least these shows will be free
HBO Max’s status is Daredevil, to say the least. according to Hollywood Reporter (Opens in a new tab), a securities filing made today (December 14th) shows that Warner Bros. Discovery plans to make more write-offs and amortizations related to content and development than previously anticipated. The cost range now is $2.8 billion to $3.5 billion, an increase of between $800 million and $1 billion over the October projection.
Where will the company find these savings? Are there any more girls who lie to be removed before the production ends? Minx, for example, was canceled before the filmed second season could even air.
So far, the cuts have come from strategically chosen titles, leaving the best HBO Max shows and the best movies on HBO Max unharmed. The fact that HBO Max is considering finding homes for these shows (in potentially profitable ways) is a small consolation for fans. TV shows aren’t known for releasing in blocks like they once were, and shows being erased from HBO Max are giving people reason to wonder where their favorites would go if they were given the same treatment.
All the while, we at Tom’s Guide think about how we call HBO Max the best streaming service. That crown almost seems to be slipping away, and HBO Max’s next moves — plus the upcoming merger of HBO Max and Discovery Plus have created a unique version of succession in the streaming wars.
[ad_2]
