Now the home of “The Sopranos,” “The Wire” and “Game of Thrones” is scrambling to catch up with its newfound online rivals, launching its own multi-billion-dollar streaming platform — HBO Max — this Wednesday.
Beloved Warner Bros shows like “Friends,” and films from “Casablanca” and “Citizen Kane” to the “Batman” movies, will sit alongside prestige HBO programs on the service. “We’re really tapping into the nostalgia and the warm feeling that’s associated with these iconic characters that people love, and stories that they’ve fallen in love with year and year again,” said marketing head Katie Soo.
One campaign for HBO Max featured fictional mafia boss Tony Soprano, played by the late James Gandolfini in “The Sopranos”. Getty Images North America/Getty Images/AFP/File/Evan AgostiniOne campaign for HBO Max used a tagline reading: “Where Bada … Meets Bing … Meets Bang.” On the movie side, new production label “Warner Max” will provide eight to 10 mid-budget movies per year.