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WBD: Pay TV bundles hurt domestic streaming ARPU during Q1

The entertainment giant is now providing Max Basic with Ads in some newer cable and streaming packages, a move that has impacted one of the streaming industry's key financial indicators.

Streaming service Max offers content from HBO, Discovery Channel, Cartoon Network, Warner Bros Pictures and other Warner Bros Discovery-owned brands. (Courtesy image, Graphic by The Desk)

Warner Bros Discovery delivered a mixed earnings report on Thursday that proved fans of TV shows and movies are still interested in signing up for their cornerstone streaming service Max — but more of them are choosing to take advantage of newer pay TV bundles that offer the ad-supported tier of Max included in their programming packages at no additional cost.

That practice helped WBD grow its global subscriber count to 122.3 million during the three-month period that ended Q1, reflecting an increase of 5.3 million streaming customers who now watch Max or one of WBD’s other streaming products. But it also impacted a key metric that investors and analysts closely watch to gauge the health of WBD’s streaming business.

Read the full article exclusively at Multicast News.

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