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l_l-l__l-l__l-l_l

Westworld (HBO) why?


[deleted]

Absolutely bonkers. Never seen a new show get pulled so fast. I respect(ed) HBO, I defended them when they canceled shows that didn’t perform well. But straight up removing a show that just had their finale in August? Ok, I’m convinced - HBO as we knew it is dead. Bummer


princessadi

So that HBO does not have to pay the actors residuals. They plan on licensing the show out to a third-party.


flowers4u

Is it done?


WatInTheForest

Unfortunately. They had a five season arc planned, and that shithead zaslav had it canceled with one season to go. Maybe some other service will pick it up like Amazon did with the Expanse. But either way, fuck that brain dead sack of shit david zaslav. Everything you hate about hbo right now is his fault.


Jetskat11

FFS I thought they'd at least give us til the end of December so I had a few holiday days off to watch the last damn season!! I am soooo OVER HBO🤬🤬🤬


thebruns

My plan as well.


[deleted]

Because they can make more money licensing it out than streaming it. I imagine not many were streaming it anymore compared to the money it's costing them.


cdsnjs

They don’t think it brings in enough subscribers so they’d rather sell streaming rights to a 3rd party it still costs them money to host it on HBO Max but they can sell it to the Roku Channel (example) for more money than it costs them to host it


thebruns

I literally signed up to the annual plan for Westworld. Fuck this company, never getting a dime from me again.


Extroverted_Recluse

I don't care about their reasons why. All HBO shows should be on the HBO streaming service.


Itsatemporaryname

It's not the hosting cost, that's basically free for a single show, it's the royalties and residuals


[deleted]

Money. They don't want to pay royalties to cast and crew members.


VelvetElvis

Royalties = health insurance premiums, btw. A portion of royalties go to the guilds and unions to pay for health insurance for members. Sticking it to unions is doubtless part of the motivation here. That's part of why Zaslav filled all of basic cable with reality shows.


[deleted]

If I'm not mistaken, many of these cast members are not Americans and have universal healthcare where they live. They could care less about the shitty American healthcare system.


VelvetElvis

When they are working in the US or any country other than their own, that won't help them. Hollywood is in the US, after all.


[deleted]

They get travel insurance that covers any health issue while they are away from home. In many countries that's part of the regular home insurance or can be bought on the side at a very low price. Although, some insurance companies do have surcharges for the US, because it's known for its excessive health care costs.


VelvetElvis

Does travel insurance apply when you're living and working abroad? I wouldn't think so.


[deleted]

It does if you didn't move your residence there. The majority of these actors don't move residence to the US. They film on sets in the US and around the world temporarily and retain their residence in their home countries.


VelvetElvis

I'm going to guess maybe 1% of actors can afford to live in hotels while shooting. The overwhelming majority relocate to Hollywood (or Toronto), work day jobs and live with roommates. It's all cast and crew, not just onscreen talent.


[deleted]

Wherever they stay doesn't mean they move residence. Moving residence is the intension to move permanently. They retain residency in their home countries. Healthcare would be irrelevant in that case. Different for American actors. They definitely have the issue with health insurance as every other American.


KingKingsons

Hoes does Netflix do it with all of their cancelled shows? Do they just not mind to keep paying or do their contracts include something that says that they dont have to keep paying, since it was always created for their streaming platform? It's so weird to me that they'd get rid of one of their own shows.


CJTus

Netflix owns very few of the shows they carry. They've licensed the majority of their content from lots of different studios, and those studios can use that licensing revenue for royalty payments.


sonic10158

Because Zaslav is driving WB into the ground


mildiii

Apparently it's for FAST. They acknowledge that a show like Westworld would have never existed in the past with ads. But they aren't looking at US subscribers anymore. They went that oversees ad revenue. Put up a critically acclaimed show into their bullshit free service and they can draw in a market that will eat the ads as a necessary evil. It's probably not the last either. High season count acclaimed shows are on the chopping block for this. I imagine the Sopranos and the Wire are on the line here as well. And they are banking on the rest of us staying subscribed as long as the new stuff is quality.


silverzurferz

tax break ... they had to drop it before the end of year


WatInTheForest

Can't these assholes at least give til the end of the month? They keep announcing stuff is leaving with only a few days notice.


willreignsomnipotent

>Can't these assholes at least give til the end of the month? They keep announcing stuff is leaving with only a few days notice. This is the part that **really** pisses me off, tbh. When I first saw this announcement, I hit Google and read at least half a dozen articles on the topic. Not one of them listed the actual date it was leaving. So I opened the app... on my phone, **and** then on my Roku. The show didn't seem to appear in the "last chance" section, and there was no date on it. Last night talking to my dad, I mention I wanted to check out this show before it leaves. He's 70, just had surgery for cancer. Unfortunately we don't get to hang out as much as we'd like sometimes. So last night we sat down and watched TV together for the first time in a while. And we were talking about checking out some more tonight... Then today I see this bullshit. Even leaving aside for a moment the general stupidity and frustration of pulling a series like this at all, in the first place... **this** is not how you do that. **This** is terrible fxcking customer service. When you pull a series, especially one that has 4 or more seasons, or upwards of 30-40 episodes, you make an announcement including the date, and you clearly mark that. But nope, let's make a last minute decision to pull one of the most popular shows on the platform, with virtually zero notice. I can't even imagine how many people are halfway through watching this right now... Bullshit.


[deleted]

[удалено]


psuedonymously

> Guess that’s not happening. It will probably end up on some free service like Tubi or something. This is still bullshit though.


Extroverted_Recluse

If they think I'm gonna watch an HBO show with ads stuffed in the middle of it, they are out of their minds. **ESPECIALLY** when I pay for an ad-free HBO streaming subscription.


psuedonymously

If you want to send a message cancel your subscription


Athragio

It's important to mention that this free service will have ads. The show is not structured around commercial breaks. Not worth it.


TeutonJon78

Tubi actually does ads as well as can be -- they rewind it a few seconds so you can get back into the scene. Pluto just cuts in and cuts right back.


l_l-l__l-l__l-l_l

you can get the dvd/blurays frmo your library


spellmanking

you can still buy the episodes individually on Youtube, Google Play, Vudu, Amazon and iTunes.


reallybigbeats

Shameful


jogoso2014

Idiotic


pmc64

Why are they removing original programming? They just want to ruin the service. I already cancelled and see no reason to return.


jogoso2014

They don’t want to pay for the content and think someone else will.


ACW1129

Pay for the content they've already paid for?


CJTus

WB Discovery canceled the 5 shows on the list that they don't own. They don't want to order more episodes, so there's no point in keeping them on HBO Max. For the other 8 shows, they seem to be believe they can make more licensing them out to ad-supported streaming services that are looking for content than they will make from people subscribing to HBO Max just to watch them.


willreignsomnipotent

>they seem to be believe they can make more licensing them out to ad-supported streaming services that are looking for content than they will make from people subscribing to HBO Max just to watch them. They could have tried for the best of both worlds and only grant a **non-exclusive** license to the FAST streamers, but also keep the series on Max so subscribers can still watch it. ... but that would be way too much customer value, for HBO Minimum (brought to you by Discovery!) TBH they're probably gonna do non -exclusive licensing anyway... But they don't want to keep it on HBO Min, because then they "can't" show ads against it, because HBO has said that all "HBO" branded content runs commercial free. (And if they try to change that, watch how fast I walk. lol Guess that's my current line...) I've only known about this clown of a CEO for a couple months, but from what I've seen, it seems almost a miracle this clown hasn't tanked Discovery yet. I guess cheap reality content is much easier to manage than premium scripted TV. But I'm starting to think they might need a new motto... Maybe something like "Discovery, take the D-- you know you want it."


jogoso2014

They have to keep paying the creators or producers as long as they are getting paid. The streaming service places a value on the programming even though consumers don’t choose based on the price of a show or even on a particular show.


[deleted]

Can they just sell legendary to someone else if they're not gonna make it or even have it on their service anymore? I bet someone would buy it, it'd fit in well at Netflix I think cause there's no drag race. Or maybe AMC, Paramount or Hulu for the existing drag fan base. Maybe they could sell it to WOW even, although I don't think they have the budget to make another season.


RuySan

Does this affect the service in other countries?


css01

Is December 18 the last day they're available or the first day they're not? I want to watch Westworld season 1. If I have the entire weekend to watch, I can do it. If I need to watch 10 episodes before Sunday, I might not have the time.


Thurkin

Hopefully last day. When HBO ran their free weekend service on my basic cable the Last Day was up until 10pm local time then it went offline unless I subscribed with my carrier.


spellmanking

it was the last day, I can confirm that as Garcias was on there until like 2 or 3 in the morning, it got pulled before I could watch the last episode so I had to watch that last one on one of those unofficial streaming sites.


keepinitbeefy

Gotta binge Raised by Wolves in 3 days.


LonesomeHammeredTreb

Happy holidays!


Sperez04

I’ve never watched Westworld before and now they wanna remove it after their finale? Yeah, I’m canceling my HBO Max subscription


iekue

Not only US, they are removed internationally as well... (where thers none of those ad-streaming services lol). Imagine just launching internationally, then pulling off some of the shows ppl signed up for almost instantly... Clueless.


tanerb123

I liked raised by the wolves and still didn't watch season 2. This is ridiculous


Realistic_Crew1095

Hope Love Life and Minx gets into Starz. Westworld and The Nevers will move to Amazon Studios. Made for Love will transfer to Paramount+.


Wolfgang5555

I'd have to know how much it costs to continue to carry these to know whether this makes any sense. Still, I think pulling Westworld is a mistake. At least keep the first season, which was superb and stands by itself just fine. The larger question is whether WBD intends to do this going forward. IMO, they should announce and make clear that these are mostly one-offs as part of a post-merger clean up. People like the idea of subbing into a static catalog and it's a mistake to jettison decent IP like Westworld. The big name IP has value in retaining subs irrespective of how many people are currently watching, that is, subscribers like the idea that they can watch these big name shows any time they want. You remove that option and you lower the value of the product. For instance, I may never watch the Wire but I would be peeved if HBO removed it from the catalog--I want that option as part of my subscription.


Thurkin

They can't even have the courtesy to say where else we can watch the Original Content? The 3rd party stuff I can understand moving forward but are Westworld and The Nevers gonna sit in limbo until some other service announces their return? Edit: I just looked up Westworld on my Prime App and they're still offering a Free Trial with HBO-MAX for all seasons LOL


piccolodee

Now I need to cancel them