Emily Djonkova

Student number: 210243

Class: 6

Situational analysis
The purpose of this report is to provide more in-depth information about HBO’s and HBO
MAX’s marketing strategy, evaluating each part of the SOSTAC analysis, which has an essential
role in the company’s success. Moreover, the main focus will be concentrated on the internal and
external analysis of the company which conclusions will be shown in a SWOT analysis.

INTRODUCTION
Home Box Office, also known as HBO, was established in 1972 and has been a part of Time
Warner Inc., one of the biggest media conglomerates, which AT&T purchased in the middle of
2018 for $85.4 billion (Pereira, 2022). HBO is now the oldest and longest-running paid channel
in United States and airs original series, movies (both released in theaters and produced for TV),
concerts, and documentaries. It has won countless honors and is the creator of shows including
Game of Thrones, The Sopranos, Sex and the City, and True Blood (Pereira, 2022). Following
the merger of WarnerMedia and Discovery, Inc. in April 2022, HBO is now controlled by
Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc (Pereira, 2022).

INTERNAL ANALYSYS
GENERAL

Mission statement
HBO’s mission statement continues to be “To develop the best shows and films that illustrate
the incredible power of storytelling” (HBO – About HBO, 2020), which hasn’t changed since
2020, and it is a drive for the company since they own worldwide-famous titles such as Lord of
the Rings, and Harry Potter as well as some iconic series such as Friends and Euphoria.
Vison statement
The vision statement is dictated by the CEO of the already mother company of HBO – David
Zaslav, which is Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc., since all the companies strive for ‘One platform
that we take everywhere in the world in every language’ (Stelter, 2022). As a very big
company which offers not only plenty of streaming platforms such as HBO MAX itself, but also
great number of services, which Zaslav wants to combine into ‘easy easy easy’ way for
consumers to navigate into the world of Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc.
Objectives
When the new name of the merged company was announced by David Zaslav, CEO of
Discovery, in Burbank, CA, he started by a powerful statement of the new company’s
objectives which combines nearly a century of creative heritage and values alongside with
great storytelling and risk takings of Warner Bros. with the authenticity, innovative manner
and quality exploration ((Discovery, Inc. Announces “Warner Bros. Discovery” as New Name
for Proposed Leading Global Entertainment Company, n.d.). He also continues with the
statement: "Warner Bros. Discovery will aspire to be the most innovative, exciting and fun
place to tell stories in the world - that is what the company will be about. We believe it will be
the best and most exciting place in the world to tell big, important and impactful stories across
any genre – and across any platform: film, television and streaming."

Core Values
HBO works in unison with its mother company and the core values which include the
development of new opportunities for independent creators and storytellers who are
underrepresented as well as to provide customers with engaging and unique video experiences
which is in balanced with the mission statement of the company (Discovery Inc., 2021).

Human Resources
For HBO the team of talented and devoted professionals is the most significant asset. The
business is dedicated to creating a work environment where each person is treated fairly, with
respect, and given the chance to flourish. HBO cultivates a workplace environment that promotes
respect, equality of opportunity, confidence, and personal accountability. By ensuring that the
staff come from a variety of backgrounds, HBO hopes to promote creativity and innovation
(Warner Media, LLC, 2022) will help the developing and improving of the overall progress of
the company. However, because of the anticipated merge of Dicovery+ and HBO MAX in 2023,
a mass lay off occurs letting go of more than 14% of the total workforce of the company (Rella,
2022). "Unfortunately, the environment in which we operate is changing rapidly, and it is up to
us to continue to refine our model to chart a course for long term success," HBO Content Chief
Casey Bloys told employees via the memo.
Organization structure
As a mother company Warner Bros Discovery owns great number of properties, some of which
are Discovery Channel alongside Discovery+, Warner Bros. Entertainment, Home Box Office,
Inc. with HBO Max, CNN, and Cartoon Network (CNBC, 2022). The CEO of Discovery since
2007-David Zaslav, will continue being in the same role at the combined entity (Hayes, 2022),
but respectively all the different departments have boards of directors and corporative leadership.
Unique Competences
A unique competence of HBO is likely its exclusive content. The network is in charge of
creating a number of internationally renowned original series and films. HBO has a strong
reputation for producing series that are award-winning. Because customers immediately begin
watching a new show after finishing a previous one, the quality shows keep the subscribers
engaged. Additionally, famous producers, directors, and performers who want to be a part of top-
notch projects are likewise drawn to this positive cycle (Pereira, 2022).

FINANCIALS
Turnover, profit, costs, marketing budget

There were $9,827 million in total reported revenues during the second quarter of 2022.
In comparison to the same quarter last year, pro forma combined revenues fell 1%. 
Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc.'s net loss was $3,418 million, which was made up of $983 million i
n transaction and integration costs, $2,004 million in intangible asset amortization, and $1,033 m
illion in restructuring and other charges.
Adjusted EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization) (Kenton,
2022)was $1,664 million. In comparison to the same quarter last year, pro forma combined Adju
sted EBITDA dicreased by 31 % (Warner Bros. Discovery - News & Events - Financial News,
n.d.).

$2,225 million in revenues were disclosed by DTC. Pro forma combined revenues rose 4% in
comparison to the same period last year. Pro forma combined advertising income climbed to $98
million, principally as a result of the June 2021 launch of the HBO Max ad-supported tier and the
expansion of the discovery+ ad-lite tier's subscriber base. Pro forma combined distribution
revenue increased by 1% as worldwide retail subscriber growth at HBO Max and discovery+
compared to the prior year quarter was substantially offset by decreased domestic wholesale
subscribers brought on by HBO Max's Amazon Channels expiration in September 2021.
DTC reported $2,743 million in operating expenses. Pro forma combined operational costs rose
16% from the same period last year. Pro forma combined costs of revenues rose by 33%,
principally due to higher investments in programming costs to support recent launches of new
markets and platforms. Pro forma combined SG&A fell 10%, principally as a result of HBO Max
and discovery+ marketing expenditures that were more effectively and precisely measured. DTC
reported $(518) million in Adjusted EBITDA. In comparison to the same quarter last year, pro
forma combined Adjusted EBITDA fell to $(571) million from $(233) million % (Warner Bros.
Discovery - News & Events - Financial News, n.d.).
Judging by the Balance sheet, the total turnover and profit is way higher than last year, which
states for a better working and progressing of the company. Respectfully, the costs are higher as
well, which is understandable since the standards for a better production and promotion are
higher as well.

Product
HBO Max. It has additional content and original series as well as it can stream the same day the
content is released in theatres unlike HBO (app) (Laukkonen, 2022).
Price
The price for HBO Max – The ad-supported subscription is 9,99€ and the ad-free version is
14,99€ per month (Sledge, 2022). Yearly, the ad-supported subscription is 99,99€ and the ad-free
one – 149,99€. However, there is an offer which gives a discount for one year when the prices
will be - 69,99€ for the ad-supported one and 104,99€. for the ad-free one. (This offer is
available within the period August 17 – Oct. 30, 2022) (HBO Max | Learn about the Discounted
HBO Max Yearly Plan Offer Available to New and Returning Subscribers until October 30,
2022., n.d.).

Promotion
In 2021 no one has spent more on digital marketing than HBO as the company invested 89% of
its digital advertisement spend in January in total of $53M in HBO Max $47M (Merchan,
2021). HBO advertised a new offer in early December that would save new customers more than
20% for six months if they paid in advance for subscription. This offer was active through
January 15th. HBO spent an estimated $729K on one version of the ad in December and $437K
on another version in January to promote the deal strongly on Instagram and Facebook. HBO has
been relying on nostalgia as HBO Max has announced fan-favourite old series having new
content on the platform including Dune, The Conjuring, Godzilla vs. Kong, and The Suicide
Squad (Merchan, 2021).More recent promotion that was heavily focused on is the series ‘The
House of the Dragon’ which is a spin-off of the popular series Game of Thrones. Not only heavy
online marketing was made for the buzz of the launching episodes, but HBO collaborated with
Dualingo to provide lessons in High Valyrian which is the fictional language, used in the series
and along with the aforementioned dragon-hatching app, HBO Max launched an official
companion podcast (Sutton, 2022). However, HBO MAX will remove 36 titles, including 20
original series from streaming (Chapman, 2022). By taking down less popular shows to save
money on residuals, Warner Bros. Discovery might reduce expenses by removing the titles from
streaming.
Distribution/place
HBO is aware of the fact that the more distributers the better. Some of the names like Cox
Communications, Microsoft, Samsung, Sony Interactive Entertainment and Verizon, Altice USA
and NCTC are part of the distribution partners of HBO Max (Fitzgerald, 2021). Moreover, the
previous mother company of HBO - AT&T and Warner Bros. Discovery have reached to a
distribution agreement which will allow the continuation of offering HBO Max to the internet
and mobility customers of AT&T (Elkady, 2022). KPN is another partner of HBO who is excited
to be part of the distribution partnership (Thomson, 2022). Guillaume Coffin, head of affiliates
and advertising, , said: “HBO Max stands for quality entertainment as the home to some of the
best TV and films. By collaborating with KPN, we are making our titles even easier for fans to
stream in the Netherlands. We look forward to HBO Max going live with KPN in September”
(Thomson, 2022).
EXTERNAL ANALYSIS
Political
Launching in different countries can be difficult since there are different tax and price
regulations as well as currencies and standard of living. This influences the prices of HBO MAX
subscriptions in different countries as in Latin America the prices are different than in Europe
(Kotuby, 2021). "We are lowering prices in the Nordic region by about 20%, and maintaining the
price in Spain," HBO Max's EMEA General Manager Christina Sulebakk told Reuters
(Mukherjee, 2021) as the standard of living, inflation and other economic factories is different.

Legal
Licensing is a very important and sometimes even hard to license whatever a company wants or
needs. Because of a licensing deal with Sky, HBO Max cannot launch its services on the territory
of UK, Germany, or Italy since HBO content and Warner Bros movies are exclusively licensed
through Sky until the end of the contract in 2025 (Nicolaou & Barker, 2021).
Censorship has a big role in the streaming services influenced not only by the difference in
values and belief in different countries but also the beliefs of the company itself. More and more
people start noticing censorship in HBO Max series and even posters, as for the movies McCabe
& Mrs. Miller and The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean where the protagonists are holding a
cigar, HBO MAX edited and removed the cigar out of the poster (  Vilas-Boas, 2022). Another
example of censorship is taking down the movie Gone with the wild, which reason is to re-
educate the audience that stereotype based on race is wrong in this age where almost everyone is
aware of that, and the second noticeable one is replacing the “Looney Tunes” character Yosemite
Sam’ revolvers and rifle with a scythe instead. This has to do with the violence shown on TV and
the gun use in U.S (Klepach, 2020). Additionally, in different countries some of the shows are
not available or censored due to political reasons.
Economic
According to economists, June 2022 was the time when the highest rate of inflation was marked
in 41 years (Davis, 2022), which has great impact on all business around the world, including
streaming services. Due to the pandemic, people who watched TV and streaming services has
helped them grow enormously as subscriptions to streaming services globally surpassed 1 billion
for the first time ever in 2020 (Motion Picture Association, 2021). And with the great impact of
inflation, some streaming services in recent months have dealt with the market challenge by
increasing their prices due to the rising cost of doing business (Porpora, 2022). HBO MAX
on the other hand has done the opposite by offering its potential subscribers 20% off their
monthly plans (Bondarenko, 2022). New and returning HBO Max customers can subscribe to 1)
the HBO Max Ad Free monthly plan at a discounted rate of $11.99/mo. plus applicable taxes for
12 months OR 2) the HBO Max With Ads monthly plan at a discounted rate of $7.99/mo. plus
applicable taxes for 12 months," read the offer details (HBO MAX, 2022). However, this will
only be possible if the customer subscribes in the period August 17 – Oct. 30, 2022.
Socio-cultural
Inclusiveness is a hot topic recent year coming from the integration of the LGBTQ+
community to accepting and equalize different races and minorities and fight for feminism
and more opportunities for women. HBO Max has been vocal about it by creating a couple of
initiatives called Scene in Black which is ‘a social-first initiative celebrating black stories’
focusing on connecting black talents, HBO Max’s Human by Orientation (which connects with
the LGBTQIA+ audience) and HBO Max Pa’lante (which launched in focuses on Latino
audiences) (Jackson, 2021). Jackie Gagne who is the HBO Max and HBO’s SVP of multicultural
marketing says about these initiatives: “Both of those initiatives represent the evolution of the
work that we’ve been doing for over a decade, creating these campaigns that authentically
engaged with the multicultural viewers,” Gagne explains. “And what we found in those launches
is that the audiences were very receptive, and very excited that we had these dedicated social
destinations, to not only promote and support the stories, but to also to start or to host
conversation, and to really connect with them from a cultural perspective” (Jackson, 2021).
Technology
Technology is advancing with every day and so all businesses and companies are trying to keep
up with the fast-paced technological developments. HBO patents high tech boxing gloves that
can measure and transfer the force when the glove hits someone’s face (Avadi, 2015). That
would provide the viewer with information of how hard someone hits and get hit and have a
better understanding when watching a match. Also, since HBO MAX will be merged with
discovery+ in a new streaming service, an app is already in a process of creation giving the
opportunity to viewers to have a quick access to the platform, which unfortunately is still only in
the process (Easton, 2022).
Environment
More sustainable working environment is something all big businesses are obligated to aim for
and that’s why According to JUST Capital, which evaluates how well a company reduces
pollutants that degrades air quality and has an effect on human health, HBO Max has a mediocre
record in this area. According to JUST Capital, which evaluates how effectively a business uses
natural resources and reduces waste, HBO Max is a frontrunner in resource efficiency (Ecountbl,
2022). More has to be done about the environment.
Competitors
New information on the performance of streaming services in Q1 2022 reveals that HBO Max
outperformed its rivals during the quarter, increasing its market share by 2% since January.
According to data from JustWatch, HBO Max has recently experienced growth that places it
above Disney+ and Hulu as the third-largest streaming service in the United States (Hepburn,
2022). Disney+ continued without a change, while Hulu dropped -1%. Netflix, the longtime
leader, suffered -2% drop in the first quarter of the year , but still remains ahead of its rivals
(Hepburn, 2022).

.
Pricing is another aspect which influences the overall performance of HBO MAX. According to
Stacker, some of the streaming providers that recently increased subscription costs include
Amazon Prime, Hulu, and Netflix (Porpora, 2022). An Amazon Prime membership, which
grants access to streaming video, was upgraded to $139 per year ($14.99 per month) as of
February 2022. According to Stacker, the prior monthly and annual prices for a Prime
Membership were $12.99 and $119, respectively. Netflix, as well boosted its fees this year,
increasing the regular plan from $14 to $15.50 per month and the 4K plan from $18 to $20 per
month (Kastrenakes, 2022). Hulu upped the cost of its ad-supported streaming service from
$5.99 per month to $6.99, while the ad-free tier jumped by $1 to $12.99, in the latter part of last
year (Hayes, 2021). HBO MAX is doing the complete opposite as it gives 20% discount to all
new subscribers for a year. Anothet thing HBO Max does as an attempt to lower the prices to
compete with the other streaming services who also do so is the integration of HBO MAX with
Ads which is 5$ cheaper than the standard ad-free subscription (Mercado, 2021).
Supply chain
As a quite big company, HBO Max has a lot of providers and suppliers starting from the mother
company – Warner Bros Discovery. You can watch through HBO MAX, as well as App stores,
and many cable and satellite TV providers. Digital subscription providers such as Hulu and
YouTube Tv also support HBO MAX as well as internet and wireless providers with AT&T.
Lastly, universities and colleges support HBO MAX and are hoping to extend its number in the
future (HBO Max |Here’s a List of the Companies That Are Supporting HBO Max., 2022).
Current market
HBO uses a multi-channel marketing approach with the goal of retaining customers throughout
the entire experience, from generating buzz before a show debut to upholding a consistent level
of engagement and attracting new viewers. Older Gen X and Millennials with discretionary
income between the ages of 25 and 44 make up HBO's current audience (Shastri, 2022). It has
mostly targeted the middle and higher classes of the city. HBO has already created a brand
identity that it upholds by airing a wide variety of shows such as Euphoria, Rap Sh!t, A Black
Lady Sketch Show, and Los Espookys, feature diverse casts that give viewers a chance to stand
out and establish an example that others will follow. The demographic is also very diverse as
HBO wants to concentrate on multinational content and diversity streaming in around 150
countries worldwide (Shastri, 2022). When it comes to market size, HBO MAX has 14%
marketshare behind Netflix with 23% and Prime Videos’s with 19% of the marketshare
(Hepburn, 2022). As HBO Max has been expanding quickly; by the end of 2021, it has reached
74 million Max and ordinary HBO subscribers. At the end of 2020, that number was only at 61
million. HBO Max has been able to attract members looking for exclusive content thanks to
successful programs like "Succession" and "The White Lotus" and access to Warner movies like
"The Matrix Resurrections" (Bondarenko, 2022).

SWOT analysis
Strengths
The strengths of HBO's business are examined in its competitive advantages in the market. A
few significant elements of a brand's strengths are:
1. The product uniqueness and exclusive content. As HBO MAX is proven to create award-
winning original series and movies like Game of Thrones or Euphoria, is definitely a
strength since the consumers are engaged with a product which is streamed on only this
platform.
2. Broad demographic inclusivity. HBO MAX focuses on creating content for different age,
gender, social status, background, and religion and thanks to its inclusivity worldwide,
more and more different viewers are being attracted.
3. Broadcasting on the latest popular movies. HBO MAX streams the latest Hollywood
blockbusters even the same time they come out in theatres which a big advantage as the
anticipation of the viewer is built up and the streaming flow is running greatly.
4. Strong brand recognition. Being broadcasted in 150 countries and having well-known
original series under their name is a base for good brand recognition and solid reputation.
Weaknesses
 Weaknesses of HBO MAX highlights the aspects they can improve on and develop further in
the future. Some of them are:
1. Age group. HBO MAX still fails to engage younger viewers (teenagers, kids) since its
current audience is mostly adults.
2. Censorship. There are some noticeable censorships on shows and even taking down
certain ones which makes the audience unable to watch them or feel frustrated about that.
3. Pricing. Although HBO MAX is making some discounts on their subscriptions, their
price is still considered high especially when watching individually. As their target group
is consistent of more prosperous people, it can be a problem for younger audience to have
access to it.
4. Organizational structure. Due to their dynamic and the anticipated merge between
Dicovery+ and HBO MAX, the mass layoffs and taking down original titles has a crucial
effect not only on the company itself but its image.
Opportunities
Opportunities aim to stress on what HBO MAX can do more with the current resources it has
and what can be a chance to be improved. Opportunities such as:
1. Expand their age-group. Generation Z and young adults in general are the viewrs who
watches and consumes more media than anybody and if HBO MAX finds the way to
engage them separately rather to concentrate on their parents it will be a great benefit tot
the platform.
2. Packaging subscription. HBO MAX has its free-ad and ad-supported subscriptions, but if
they concentrate on creating a package subscription (for example family packet as some
of its competitors have already done) can help attract more new subscribers.
3. Mobile Applications. HBO MAX is already in a process of creating an app but for the
future merged platform between discovery+ and HBO MAX. The competition already
offers users mobile applications, so they have made watching devices agnostic. This
further entices customers by giving them a taste of using several gadgets and HBO MAX
would have the great opportunity to work on that sooner.
4. International Growth. As a multinational media corporation, HBO is always looking for
new international markets. They have a major investment in Latin America and India but
can also improve their services in US and Italy before 2025.
Threats
Threats of any business reflect the external factors that can influence the company and how the
businesses can deal with that. Threats for HBO MAX can be:
1. Strong competition. HBO is a potent rival and one of the biggest dangers to the global
media giant. However, competitor like Netflix is one of the main rivals. Given that
Netflix is the most widely used streaming service, it is extremely well-liked by users, and
customers like the platform is very hard to keep up with the innovations competitors are
doing.
 2. Currency Fluctuations.  HBO which is broadly spread in the international market has to
take into consideration the fluctuations in the currency of different countries and the
inflation that is happening in this day and age.
3. Pirated movies. The availability of pirated movies has increased, which has forced the the
industry to fight quite a lot with that. Unfortunately, Movie piracy comes from an
unregulated source and is uncontrollable which makes it harder for the streaming services
to battle.
4. Changes in Policies: Because they operate in a worldwide market, they must alter their
policies in accordance with any lawsuits filed by other countries which sometimes
includes censorship and limit of creative freedom.
CONCLUSION
Form the SWOT analysis, we can conclude that HBO MAX is a great acknowledged streaming
service with exclusive content and worldwide known movies spread along a broad demographic
segmentation. They can improve more with the expansion of their age group and international
influence, the creation of subscription packages and online applications. But as HBO MAX fails
to target younger generations as a weakness, the existence of the strong competition may result
in taking away potential clients and subscribers. The presence of censorship that can be in result
of changes in policies in different countries is also a drawback of HBO MAX. Additionally, the
currency fluctuations on the international market and inflation should be considered when
defining the price of the service. The organizational structure, the corporative leadership and the
merging could be chaotic for the viewrs which can damage the reputation of the business
resulting on pirating original HBO movies online, which could be dreadful for the company.

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