Max B/R Sports Offering Will Launch As Paid AddOn Later Than Expected Due To Tech Integration Process
EXCLUSIVE: Warner Bros. Discovery plans to launch a paid version of its B/R sports supplement within months, a departure from the company's initial predictions.
When the Bleacher Report branded sports tier was announced last September and then launched in October, there was no additional cost to Max subscribers. At the time, the company said it expected the add-on's $10 premium price to go into effect in February. That schedule would have allowed March Madness, WBD's annual coverage of the NCAA men's basketball tournament through a joint venture with Paramount Global, to increase subscriber interest.
More time
Now, the add-on is expected to launch as a premium option at a yet-to-be-determined date after the basketball craze ends.
"The B/R Sports add-on will continue to be available to Max subscribers for several months while we finalize some technology integrations that will ensure a more seamless customer experience with our platform partners," Max said in a statement. provided by Deadline is. . . "We've seen great engagement with Max's live sports so far and look forward to delighting fans at future premium sports events like March Madness, the NBA and the NHL."
Later this spring, WBD Linear Networks will present two additional events, the NHL and NBA Playoffs, which will also take place on Max's B/R level. The Major League Baseball playoffs will take place in October on TBS and Sports.
The technical process that allows customers to choose the sport level is not easy to manage. As direct-to-consumer broadcast providers, all media companies today find themselves in a very different situation than when they were focused on providing linear programming to pay-TV operators. They must coordinate a variety of activities not handled internally, including billing, fulfillment, technical support, and product integration.
JB Perrette, CEO and president of Global Streaming and Games at WBD, spoke to Deadline last September about the "tough business" of independent channels focused on sports broadcasting and explained the company's strategic reasons for this phased approach. In Europe, Discovery (which completed its merger with WarnerMedia in 2022) made programming from its Eurosport subsidiary available on Discovery+ and discontinued its separate streaming service Europort. That consolidated setup "grew and became much more successful, both in terms of revenue, churn and engagement," Perrett said. "So that's the model we followed" with Max.
Best term
Sign up for the Deadline newsletter. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for the latest news.
