Westworld and a number of other canceled HBO Max shows now have a new streaming home thanks to a groundbreaking new deal. Based on the novel by author Michael Crichton, Westworld first aired on HBO back in 2016, telling the story of a new type of AI-filled amusement park in which wealthy guests can live out their most wild fantasies. The show, which is created by Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy, ran for four seasons before it was canceled last November. Following its cancelation, Westworld and a host of other shows, including Raised by Wolves, The Nevers, The Time Traveler's Wife, and Finding Magic Mike, among others, were removed from HBO Max.
Available To Stream On HBO Max
Now, per a new report from canceled HBO Max shows will have new streaming homes thanks to groundbreaking deals Warner Bros. Discovery has made with The Roku Channel and Tubi. Westworld, Raised by Wolves, Legendary, The NeversThe Bachelor, Cake Boss, and F-Boy Island, among others, will Roku and Tubi as part of new free, ad-ed streaming television (FAST) channels. Each of the two streaming services will have dedicated Warner Bros. Discovery-branded channels, with over 2,000 hours of content headed to each platform. Roku will begin streaming this content in spring 2023 while Tubi will begin rolling out this content as early as February 1.
Did HBO Max Start A Troubling Trend?
HBO Max started making headlines last year when the Batgirl movie, which had already been filmed, was unceremoniously canceled. The move was part of a larger cost-cutting strategy following Warner Bros.' merger with Discovery Inc., (and the looming merger of their two respective streaming services) in which CEO David Zaslav would write off projects as part of post-merger restructuring efforts. HBO Max's cancelation of shows comes after a period of increased spending in an attempt to drive subscription growth, which is also reflective of other streaming services as well. In fact, Warner Bros. Discovery's cancelation and removal of shows in order to send them to FAST channels is starting to look like the beginning of a trend within the industry more generally.
Showtime recently removed shows like Kidding, On Becoming A God In Central Florida, American Rust, American Gigolo, and Let The Right One In in an effort to cut costs, with many of these shows expected to be shopped to third-party buyers. Amazon already has its own FAST channel with Freevee and other big streamers like Netflix may also soon start to explore its own FAST option. After years of extreme spending in the streaming wars, major platforms are now looking for ways to balance budgets as subscription growth levels out. Removing shows and licensing them to FAST channels may become much more prevalent over the next few years as this continues.
Ironically, the move toward FAST channels, in many ways, mirrors the TV landscape before the rise of streaming. It remains to be seen how the streaming industry will continue to evolve, but it seems likely that streamers like Netflix, HBO Max, Prime Video, Paramount+, Apple TV+, Disney+, and Showtime, may begin to explore new ways to write down content and save money. While Westworld and most of the other canceled HBO Max shows likely won't be getting new seasons, the show at least now has a new home. Unfortunately, however, those looking to experience these shows without ads are out of luck.
Source: Variety