AT&T rolls out a new, super-charged streaming service with HBO shows, 'Friends' and more

[brooklynite]

CNBC

AT&’s WarnerMedia announced on Tuesday that its new streaming service will be called HBO Max. As the name implies, it includes a lot more than just content from HBO.

HBO Max will include shows and movies from Warner Bros., New Line, DC Entertainment, CNN, TNT, TBS, truTV, The CW, Turner Classic Movies, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, Crunchyroll, Rooster Teeth, Looney Tunes and other content providers. It also includes exclusive rights to stream all 236 episodes of the TV show “Friends.”

The service is expected to launch in beta later this year. AT&T has not said how much it will cost. HBO Max will launch publicly in the spring of 2020 and will include 10,000 hours of content, the company said.

Netflix recently spent $80 million to keep “Friends” through 2019, according to Vulture. Netflix will also lose “The Office” in 2021, when NBC will offer it as part of its $10 per month streaming TV service. Both shows are thought to be two of the most popular on Netflix, which means the company will have to continue funding new programming in order to find another new hit to keep subscribers engaged.

[targetpractice]

1. Friends? umm... yay? n/t

[qazplm135]

2. apparently

it's one of the top two things watched on Netflix.

[fescuerescue]

3. It was super popular in it's day

And still is apparently.

I can't stand the laugh track though.

[rownesheck]

4. Pretty soon

there will be like 100 different streaming services. No one will be able to afford all of them. We will have to choose which of our favorite movies/TV shows we are ok with not watching. I was just having this conversation with my wife and I came up with a brilliant idea...

Bring back video rental stores! OMG! You could walk in and rent your favorite shows/movies that aren't being shown now on the 1 or 2 streaming services you have. It'll be just like the 80s/90s again! My favorite job of all time was working at a video rental store! Great friends and great times. Oh how i yearn for 1994...

[brooklynite]

5. Remember when people here proudly told us they "cut the cord"

....and the new arrangement was great because they could ala carte order what they wanted?

How's it going?