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Can HBO Max Beat Netflix?

It may seem like Netflix has had its run and used up all its creative energy. Recently every new series that are making waves in the digital world is the HBO Max production. There has been a visible increase in HBO Max downloads from mid-2021 which shows that the number of HBO Max NZ as well as global fans has increased considerably over this period.

The possible reasons why Netflix is losing its grip on the customer base fall back to two causes. According to the latest stats on Business Insider, the channel is nudging its customers to upgrade to the 4K version.

Secondly, the content also seems to have lost its lackluster, or must we say there is no challenging content; it’s always like comfort food.

Here is our comprehensive dive into analyzing some factors which conclude if HBO Max beat Netflix, or not. Read on to get enlightened.

Price Plan of HBO Max Vs. Netflix

Netflix has been on the warpath with the consumer over password sharing. With updates and tough choices, Netflix is becoming unpleasant among its subscribers.

Everyone loved Netflix for its low subscription charges and password sharing, and now the whole moot point is evaporating.

On the other hand, HBO Max is not very big on the crackdown on password sharing. The streaming service is letting it slide and waiting for the users to get comfortable with the application.

Here are the price plans for both services with features.

Price Plan of HBO Max

$10 per month, HD video, three streams, no downloads, and ad-supported
$15 per month, 4K, HDR video, three streams, downloads, no ads

The plans are straightforward. Consumer who loves the content on HBO Max are agreeable to the basic plan with ads, as it supports three streams and HD quality video, which is unavailable with Netflix at the same price.

Price Plan of Netflix

$10 per month, SD video, one stream, no ads
$15.50 per month, HD video, two-stream, no ads
$20 per month, 4K HDR video, four streams, no ads

Netflix still has the advantage of no ads streaming service over its competitors. But rumor has it; the streaming giant is all set to launch a fourth-tier price plan.

The new plan will be cheaper than the latter but ad-supported. This may give the edge over the subscribers the streaming service lost/will lose over the password sharing crackdown. We anticipate the subscription plans to roll out in the first quarter of 2023.

Content Is Above Everything Else

Content is the sole reason viewers flock to the platform. To get a better idea, we will discuss streaming services in the region USA.

So, if you are looking for a wide variety of titles, Netflix is the winner compared to HBO Max, but is Netflix, the winner?

Netflix – 4000+ movies and 1600+ TV series
HBO Max – 2000+ movies and 580+ TV series
Amazon Prime – 24,000+ movies and 2,100+ TV series

In this way, Netflix is not the winner. Now, if we analyze the data, out of

4,000+ movies on Netflix, 450 movies have 7.5 plus ratings on IMDB
2,580+ movies on HBO Max and 517 movies have 7.5 plus ratings on IMDB.

So if you prefer quality over quantity, HBO Max is the clear winner. But if you are a movieholic and need a bigger library, Netflix is the obvious choice.

However, recently, HBO Max released all the Warner Bros movies on the platform on the same day. It was a huge thing for all DC fans to watch the Batman movie on HBO Max at home the same day!

Due to Covid-19 and its recurrent variants, people are skeptical about going to the cinema, so it was a win-win for the DC fans.

New Most Anticipated Titles on HBO Max:

Industry – season 2
House of Ho – season 2
Flight Attendant – season 2
House of Dragon
Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Detroit Lions
Selena + Chef
The Princess (a tribute to Princess Diana)
And then classics like Mystic Pizza (1988), Charlie’s Angels (2000, 2003), Gaslight (1944), Colours (1988), Blue Velvet (1986), Whiplash (2014), The Fault In Our Stars (2014), and many more reprise on the library.

New Most Anticipated Titles on Netflix:

The Sandman – season 1
Stranger Things – season 4
Keep Breathing
A Model Family – season 1
Never have I Ever – season 3
Bridgeton – season 2
DOTA: Dragon’s Blood – season 3
And then classics like A Chinese Odyssey Part 2: Cinderella (1995), The Nice Guys (2016), Skyfall (2012), Flight (2012), Bridget Jones’s Baby (2016), Bridget Jones’s Diary (2001), and many more reprise on the library.

Both streaming services are bringing-in their A-game with their original content. Stranger Things season 4 on Netflix gathers a large crowd; Meanwhile Hard Knocks on HBO Max has a huge loyal fan base bringing a team in training each year, with the seventeenth season coming to the screen in August this year.

Interface of the Application

HBO Max has a fresher, quick, and easy-to-swipe interface. Meanwhile, Netflix is stuck to its old routine.

For starters, having “Continue Watching” always on the top of the application is a great element.

Another great thing about the application is being creative and playful with the titles, such as “HBO Max Hubs,” which contains all the Turner and Studio Ghibli Classics.

Last, winning point for us was the “last chance” section. It contains all the titles scheduled to leave the service library, so you can catch them and bid proper goodbyes.

Netflix always had the “Continue Watching” tiles on the top of the page. But recently, the service throws it a few rows down and puts up the ads of upcoming and newly released titles.

As we glide through the app, you can see newly released on top of the application page, which is extremely thoughtful and aptly placed.

The next selection you may see is “Trending in (your region),” which is attentive and smart as everyone is talking about the same content, and you get the results based on an algorithm for the region.

Final Thoughts

Netflix and HBO Max are streaming giants competing against each other. They may have different preferences and age demographics of subscribers, but they are always upping their game.

HBO Max is reinventing the palate for its viewers by creating diverse content. At the same time, Netflix is bringing in the same old comfort watch, which has become predictable for users.

Nevertheless, there is news on the horizon for the collaboration of Warner Bros Discovery with Amazon for the new HBO Max deal as the Universal and Disney deal expires by the end of 2022. Meanwhile, Netflix’s talks with Sony Pictures will add new titles and flair to the streaming library.

Inevitably, both services are trying to prove their steel, in turn benefiting the user in the long run.