WarnerMedia’s recent news has shocked many Indian TV channels viewers. According to the sources, the company is pulling the plug on linear TV channels like HBO in Pakistan and India.
Apart from that, they will also halt the WB movie channel in India, the Maldives, Bangladesh, as well as Pakistan from December 15, 2020.
This sudden move came after a few weeks when the network suggested that the brands were not in optimal space in the industry. The viewership has fallen drastically in the last few months.
In September, in a fireside chat at the APOS Summit 2020, head of international, WarnerMedia, Gerhard Zeiler, said that in India, they don’t have the suitable scale that they needed and where it has to be.
Zeiler also said that they have their work cut out in the market. But he positively stated that customers would hear about HBO Max in the coming months or maybe in 2021. He referred to the streaming service as their ‘workhorse’.
Recently, Siddharth Jain, SVP and MD, Warner Media South Asia, said that the HBO linear movie channel had completed 20 years on TV, and the WB linear movie channel has been there for a decade.
He continued that it was the most difficult decision to make by removing these two channels. He further added that the market dynamics and the pay-TV industry landscape has changed dramatically in the past few months.
Moreover, he also reasoned that the current pandemic has also quickened the need for further change. Jain expressed heartfelt appreciation on behalf of his team. He also appreciates all the fans and their partners. He continued that they owe a debt of gratitude to their hardworking employees who worked with their passion for these channels.
WarnerMedia still has a strong interest in India and is committed to assessing optimal opportunities to serve the audience in the country.
So this means WarnerMedia won’t remove all their content from South Asia. Sources say that the company won’t stop their operations for kids brands like Pogo as well as Cartoon Network. Besides, they are also planning to increase production and investment in local animation.
Additionally, the company will retain its employees based in Bengaluru, Delhi, and Mumbai to handle its kids’ channel operations, marketing, as well as sales. WarnerMedia will also let them handle the distribution of CNN International.
Conclusion
Sadly, South Asian viewers won’t be able to watch their favorite films during weekends with their families. But it is not the end, you can catch all your favorite TV shows and movies on HBO Max and make your weekend more entertaining.
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