Four of the 10 most requested shows for the premium cabler and its streaming platform are from the DC Universe
Netflix needs to watch its back. Throughout 2021, demand for HBO/HBO Max Originals grew at a faster rate than demand for Netflix Originals, according to data from Parrot Analytics.
Both platforms have seen demand for their programming increase, which is an important reminder that the total size of the streaming pie continues to grow. However, as HBO Max hit its one-year anniversary this year, it was gaining ground on Netflix.
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From January to December 2021, total demand for HBO and HBO Max Originals increased by 14.2%. This slightly outpaced Netflix’s growth over the same period, which was 10.3%. HBO Max Originals alone have seen a 39.2% growth in demand this year. This illustrates how HBO Max has become a growth engine for HBO-branded content. Demand for original content is a key leading indicator of subscriber growth, suggesting that Max Originals played a significant role in pushing HBO’s total global subscriber count to 73.8 million by the end of 2021 .
The variety of HBO Max Originals with the highest demand is proof that the platform invests in content that appeals to large audiences. HBO Max clearly has a major edge in its DC series — four of the 10 most requested HBO Max Originals are set in the DC Universe: “Titans,” “Doom Patrol,” “Harley Quinn,” and “Young Justice.” However, the platform brings more to the table than its DC offerings. Contrast that with Disney+, whose best Originals are almost exclusively split between its two key franchises — Marvel and “Star Wars.”
Two children’s series are among HBO Max’s 10 most requested originals. In fact, “Sesame Street” had the highest demand of all of these shows. It was a smart move for the platform to move “Infinity Train” to HBO Max from Cartoon Network and transfer the first series of “Sesame Street” to the platform. These shows have proven to be some of the most requested originals on the platform. Other shows among HBO Max’s 10 most requested originals of the year range from a college comedy (“The Sex Lives of College Girls”) to an otherworldly sci-fi drama (“Raised by Wolves”) to a reboot of a classic comedy-drama (“And just like that…”).
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