HBO Max’s Current Acquisition Targets and Agent Concerns

Happy post-Turkey Day, Series Business readers! I hope you all survived last week’s newsletter on Big Tech training AI on 139,000 TV and film scripts without any major indigestion. Let’s jump back into the world of TV development as we approach the holiday season. There may be just enough time left to squeeze in a couple more meetings at your favorite power lunch spot or the San Vicente Bungalows – if we’re still doing that these days?

This week, let’s talk about HBO. HBO has always been seen as the crown jewel of Warner Bros., but its status as the go-to for prestige TV has taken a hit in recent years. With corporate overlords like Discovery and AT&T looking to scale up, competition from the likes of Netflix and Apple TV+ has put pressure on HBO to step up its game. It’s no longer the only player if you’re a big-name star or have a mega-expensive TV project in mind.

The word on the street is that HBO and Max are doubling down on their in-house brands. Just look at the slew of Game of Thrones spinoffs that have been in the works – some have hit the mark, like the adaptation of George R.R. Martin’s Dunk and Egg book series, while others, like the Jon Snow spinoff, just didn’t make the cut.

Casey Bloys, the content chief at HBO and Max, recently addressed the audience at an HBO/Max programming slate presentation, saying, “We develop a lot of ideas — sometimes they come together, sometimes they don’t.” It’s all about trying new things and hoping to stumble upon that one captivating story.

In this week’s Series Business, we’ll delve into:
– What agents are saying about HBO
– A sneaky way to catch HBO’s attention for your show
– How Bloys is juggling returning series and new orders
– How one savvy agent and creator cracked the code to get a series bought by Max
– The surprising format that’s piqued Max’s interest
– Who’s got the inside track to get HBO Max to bite on a show
– A comparison of HBO Max’s development strategy with Amazon and Netflix
– What’s looming over HBO Max’s buying decisions in terms of budget
– How agents view HBO’s brand health as we head into 2025

Stay tuned for more insights into the ever-evolving world of TV development! If you’re interested in full access to this and other Ankler content, paid subscribers can click the link to keep reading. Let’s keep the conversation going!