HBO Max launched just last week and the newest streamer in the marketplace may have a surprise hit on its hands and it might not be the show you expect it to be.
After about just 14 days, Looney Tunes is proving to be more popular on HBO Max than Game of Thrones or Friends. HBO has been known to skew to an older audience but a new report from "Bloomberg News" shows that the service's reboot of Warner Bros. Animation's iconic Looney Tunes is gaining the most traction. The series has been so popular with subscribers that it has managed to be HBO Max's most in-demand program. Considering how many people love Game of Thrones or have been eagerly anticipating the return of Friends reruns to streaming after the comedy series departed Netflix, this is no small feat.
The statistics were compiled by Parrot Analytics, a research-based firm responsible for determining the popularity of programs based on social media, fan ratings, and piracy. Fans of Looney Tunes have also made it the second most popular series in the first four days of its debut which puts it just behind Disney+'s The Mandalorian. Every streamer is looking for their hit, especially one that has newly launched, and HBO Max seems to have theirs. HBO Max was touted on the concept that it was meant to appeal to a more adult demographic so it's interesting that Looney Tunes is proving to be so popular. That being said, Looney Tunes has always skewed broadly, appealing to children as well as adults.
It's possible that the initial popularity of the animated reboot could sputter out after the initial launch but this is a good start for HBO Max which was met with some criticism for not having a deal in place with Roku or Amazon Fire TV before launch. The streamer is also seeing success with the Anna Kendrick-fronted series Love Life, which accelerated its release of new episodes due to audience demand. In a truly crowded landscape for streaming, HBO Max needed to stand out and so far it's doing just that.
Have YOU watched Looney Tunes on HBO Max? What series have you explored on the service?