Series The Last of Us Helps Warner Bros. Discovery to More Subscribers

The successful HBO series The Last of Us has brought Warner Bros. Discovery delivered more subscribers and increased streaming revenue.

The entertainment group saw the number of customers of its HBO Max, Discovery + and HBO services increases by 1.6 million in the first quarter. In addition, the Last of Us, based on a video game, attracted many viewers early this year. A second series has already been announced.

The total turnover amounted to 10.7 billion dollars, about 10 billion euros. Nevertheless, the equally good performance of the Harry Potter computer game Hogwarts Legacy did not help the merged company to profit in the first quarter. As a result, the loss in this period amounted to more than 1 billion dollars. The merger between Discovery and AT&T’s WarnerMedia arm was completed last year, so revenue and profit figures are not directly comparable.

The streaming services made a profit of 50 million, while analysts had generally expected a loss of the same size. The regular TV channels from Warner Bros. Discovery, like CNN, again attracted fewer viewers and advertisers. The studios also had less income, mainly because fewer major films premiered.

The profit from the streaming services can be called unique. Given the fierce competition, it is difficult for many companies to profit. This month, Warner Bros. Discovery with its new streaming service, MAX. That is a combination of HBO Max and Discovery +. The service will only come to the Netherlands next year.