HBO Max, Disney+ see bump in app downloads with film debuts

[LOS ANGELES] AT&T's HBO Max streaming platform set a single-day record for downloads of its mobile app following the release of the superhero sequel Wonder Woman 1984, from the company's Warner Bros studio.

An estimated 554,000 users signed up for the app from Friday to Sunday, including a record 244,000 downloads on Sunday alone, according to the market-research firm Apptopia.

While mobile devices are just one entry point for customers using a streaming service, the data provides a way to measure traffic. HBO Max's total mobile users now stand at just under 12 million, Apptopia said.

Meanwhile, Walt Disney's Disney+ streaming service had about 2.3 million global installations of its mobile app over the Christmas holiday, a 28 per cent increase from the prior weekend, according to the market-research firm Sensor Tower.

The Pixar animated feature Soul, which was released on Disney+ on Christmas Day, took in about US$7.6 million in its theatrical debut in several international markets, including China.

The weekend will be closely analysed by Hollywood executives and investors because studios decided to release two big films, Wonder Woman and Soul, on their streaming services on the same day they were released in cinemas.

Wonder Woman took in US$16.7 million in domestic theatres over the weekend. AT&T's WarnerMedia said nearly half of the customers who have subscribed to HBO Max directly from the company watched the film on the day of its release.

Apptopia and Sensor Tower tally only downloads of the companies' mobile apps. Disney+ has about 87 million global subscribers overall, while HBO Max, which is available only in the US, has had 12.6 million account activations.

Investors largely perceive the dual theatre-and-streaming strategy as a success. Shares of Cinemark Holdings rallied Monday, though AMC Entertainment Holdings reversed earlier gains, and Disney stock hit a new high.

BLOOMBERG