> This also fails to account for the strength of HBO Max (very strong sub numbers)
It's important to note that those numbers are very juiced. For example, my HBOMax comes for free with my AT&T internet (still). I've never paid them a dime directly. When they first started they were basically giving away accounts like crazy to get growth. I think they also gave free accounts to their cable subscribers.
So while their numbers look really big on paper they aren't getting a lot of income from those subscribers.
ATT’s grandfathered mobile plans including HBO Max are a ripoff ever since they sold it to Discovery. You effectively are paying ~$15+$5 per line per month for 1 account of HBO Max compared to the current ATT plans offered to customer.
I have 6 lines on my ATT Unlimited Premium Plan (the most expensive retail plan), and the monthly cost dropped by $60 by removing HBO max and switching to the new plans.
It is probably cheaper just to buy directly at HBOMax.com
See the “new” ATT prices, all without HBO Max (couple years old now maybe?)
This may be the case with the mobile plans, but I get HBO Max with my AT&T fiber service, and short of going to a lower speed tier, I do not see any cheaper plan I can switch to without HBO Max.
Netflix comes free with T-Mobile Magenta plans, I think Comcast includes some sort of premium Peacock subscription. I don't know that AT&T bundling it would be much different than the other services bundling, would it?
I think the difference might be that to leverage the Netflix through T-Mobile you have to actively sign up for Netflix or switch to T-Mobile being the payment processor. Where as with the AT&T/HBOMax deal, you just login to HBOMax with your AT&T credential.
Interestingly, we're not on Magenta but one of the earlier plans so the OnUs benefit is for the HD teir of Netflix. As I said above, T-Mobile becomes the payment processor on the account so when I upgraded to 4K my T-Mobile bill went up a couple bucks to account for the difference.
It's important to note that those numbers are very juiced. For example, my HBOMax comes for free with my AT&T internet (still). I've never paid them a dime directly. When they first started they were basically giving away accounts like crazy to get growth. I think they also gave free accounts to their cable subscribers.
So while their numbers look really big on paper they aren't getting a lot of income from those subscribers.