(Richard Termine/Sesame Workshop via AP)Is a pandemic the perfect time to launch a new and relatively expensive streaming service?
The phone company is investing billions in HBO Max, its first big entertainment venture since it spent $85 billion for Time Warner in 2018.
HBO Max costs $15, same as the HBO Now streaming service it's supposed to replace, with discounts after the launch limited to some AT&T customers.
Disney launched Disney Plus and the sports-focused ESPN Plus and took control of Hulu from an industry joint venture.
It's easy to prompt HBO Now users to switch to Max if they signed up directly through HBO, and many big cable companies have agreed to promote HBO Max to their existing HBO customers.