Warner Bros. Discovery APAC Chief Touts Max's Regional Success at APOS Amid Corporate Split
Warner Bros. Discovery's Asia-Pacific president James Gibbons is bullish about the streaming service Max's performance across the region, even as the media giant prepares for a major corporate restructuring that will split its streaming and studios business from its traditional television networks.
Despite the corporate changes, Gibbons emphasized that strategic goals for the Asia-Pacific region remain unchanged. The executive was speaking at the APOS conference in Indonesia.
More from Variety
Google's Sanjay Gupta Sees AI as 'Magic Wand' for Asia's Storytellers at APOS
'Squid Game' Season 3 Launch Highlights Netflix Korea's Global K-Content Strategy at APOS
'The Pitt' Season 2 Casts 'The L Word: Generation Q' Alum Sepideh Moafi
The executive was particularly enthusiastic about Max's March launch in Australia, where the service positioned itself with the tagline 'all killer, no filler' to differentiate from competitors in the crowded streaming landscape. 'We've seen every expectation that we had in the market has been exceeded on every front,' Gibbons said, noting strong performance across subscribers, revenues and engagement metrics.
The Australian rollout marked the first time Warner Bros. Discovery launched an ad-supported tier for Max in the Asia-Pacific region, partnering with Nine Entertainment for ad sales. The service also launched exclusively through pay-TV provider Foxtel, giving it immediate access to Foxtel's subscriber base while also being available directly to consumers.
'We've seen a tremendous authentication rate there,' Gibbons noted of the Foxtel partnership, 'and then in the retail space, we were obviously available across the market to all segments which have never previously been the case in Australia.'
In Japan, Warner Bros. Discovery took a different approach, partnering with local streaming service U-Next rather than launching independently. The strategy has paid dividends, with Gibbons reporting that Max content viewing increased by more than 40% following the launch.
'By working with U-Next, who've done an incredible job in the last few months to be building up that platform, we were able to, on day one, access their entire base for Max, and secondly, sit alongside a very strong lineup of local Japanese content,' he explained.
While Max has built its reputation on premium international content, Gibbons acknowledged the need to invest more heavily in local productions to expand the addressable market. The company has already seen success with its anime studio in Japan, which produced 'Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League' exclusively for Max.
Warner Bros. Discovery also scored a major box office hit in Japan with 'Cells at Work,' which Gibbons described as 'the most successful, biggest box office in the history of all the movies we've ever produced in Japan, based on a manga in Japan.'
The executive highlighted the global impact of strategic casting decisions, pointing to Lisa from K-pop group Blackpink's role in 'The White Lotus' Season 3, filmed in Thailand. 'That made Thailand possibly, if not the number one, one of the most successful markets of 'White Lotus' globally,' Gibbons said.
In Southeast Asia, Warner Bros. Discovery has primarily worked through partnerships due to legacy relationships with HBO channels and HBO Go. However, Gibbons indicated the company plans to focus more heavily on direct-to-consumer retail subscriptions going forward. 'It's just taking one step at a time to make sure that we're focused,' he said.
For key markets like South Korea and India, Warner Bros. Discovery continues to work through partnerships with Coupang Play and JioStar respectively, though Gibbons suggested these arrangements could evolve as market conditions change.
Gibbons emphasized that Warner Bros. Discovery's strategy extends far beyond streaming, leveraging popular franchises for theme park experiences and consumer products. The Harry Potter Studio Tour in Japan, which launched two years ago, remains 'solidly booked out daily,' while a second location is planned for Shanghai.
'When you have a fan base, and you know you have streaming, which is essentially a fan base and IP engine that's building, you have then the opportunity to serve that fan base with experiences, consumer products and games,' Gibbons explained.
The executive sees significant untapped potential in the Asia-Pacific region, noting that it's 'home to two thirds of the world's population, three out of the five biggest economies' and represents a 'tremendous market for streaming growth.'
Best of Variety
New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week
'Harry Potter' TV Show Cast Guide: Who's Who in Hogwarts?
25 Hollywood Legends Who Deserve an Honorary Oscar
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
32 minutes ago
- USA Today
From 'My Mom Jayne' to 'The Woman in the Yard,' 10 movies to stream right now
In between making Fourth of July plans, be sure to watch a deep dive on Jayne Mansfield and get creeped out by a woman in a yard. Several new streaming films have arrived on your various streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon's Prime Video, Disney+ and more. There are theatrical releases finally coming home, including a Looney Tunes animated comedy and a sci-fi horror flick set in deep space, plus original fare like the debut from Steven Spielberg's filmmaking daughter. Here are 10 new and notable movies you can stream right now: 'Ash' A trippy paranoia space thriller that turns into a gonzo gore-fest. Eiza González plays an astronaut who wakes up on an alien planet, not knowing who she is but seeing a bunch of dead crew members around, and she needs to figure out if her rescuer (Aaron Paul) is on the level or not. Where to watch: Shudder 'The Day the Earth Blew Up' Who better to stave off an alien invasion than ... wait, what? Daffy Duck and Porky Pig?! This Looney Tunes animated comedy features the iconic 'toon twosome as roommates and coworkers at a chewing gum factory who uncover a mind-control plot when the launch of a new flavor turns people into zombies. Where to watch: Max 'KPop Demon Hunters' Catchy music, anime style and some horror combine in this kid-friendly action comedy. When the members of Korean pop trio Huntrix aren't busy being megastars, they protect their fans from supernatural dangers. But dark secrets and hormones become issues, thanks to their latest enemy: demons disguised as a hunky boy band. Where to watch: Netflix 'Love Me' Are you ready for a romantic sort-of-comedy between inanimate objects? Hundreds of years after mankind is wiped out, a smart buoy (Kristen Stewart) turns on and strikes up a friendship with the last satellite (Steven Yeun) launched into space. This weird couple literally gets more real as time passes, trying ice cream for the first time and opening up to each other. Where to watch: Paramount+ 'A Minecraft Movie' Kids are going to love it, as will anyone with a soft spot for the glorious weirdness of "Napoleon Dynamite." The adventure centers on misfits stuck in a fantasy world that makes the most of their creativity, with an unhinged Jack Black singing about lava chicken and a hilariously macho Jason Momoa gamely taking the brunt of the gags. Where to watch: Max 'My Mom Jayne' We knew Mariska Hargitay was one of TV's top cops. What we didn't realize is she's also a gifted documentarian. Hargitay was just 3 when her movie star mom, Jayne Mansfield, died, and the film is her way to figure out who Mansfield was. The documentary disconnects the sex symbol from the real person while also revealing the biological father Hargitay kept a secret. Where to watch: Max 'Nosferatu' Do you live for Prime Day and gothic thrillers with weird romance and bloodsuckers? Director Robert Eggers' remake of the horror classic finally comes to Amazon, with Lily-Rose Depp as a woman who's the obsession of an undead mustached menace (Bill Skarsgård). Where to watch: Prime Video 'Please Don't Feed the Children' With her first feature film, director Destry Allyn Spielberg – yes, the daughter of that Spielberg – creates an intense world where a pandemic has stricken adults instead of kids and teens on the run are taken in by a stranger (Michelle Dockery). Then Spielberg shows her true mettle by pulling off a twist that proudly goes full horror. Where to watch: Tubi 'Sally' While this revealing documentary about Sally Ride obviously touches on her being the first American woman in space, it's more interested in getting into her personal life. The movie digs into her tennis roots, the misogyny she dealt with regularly at NASA, and the lesbian romance she kept private for 27 years because she knew it wouldn't be accepted. Where to watch: Disney+, Hulu 'The Woman in the Yard' Danielle Deadwyler stars as an injured widow and single mother knocked for a loop by tragedy when a mysterious woman in a black veil shows up out of nowhere to haunt her family's yard. It's psychological horror that digs deep into depression and mental health, with a harrowing ending that leaves much up to audience interpretation. Where to watch: Peacock
Yahoo
40 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Guggenheim Raises PT on Spotify (SPOT) to $840 From $725
Spotify Technology S.A. (NYSE:SPOT) is one of the 13 Best Long Term Growth Stocks to Invest in Right Now. On June 25, Guggenheim analyst Michael Morris maintained a Buy rating on Spotify Technology S.A. (NYSE:SPOT), raising the price target to $840 from $725. The firm reported that it updated its model as the end of the second quarter approaches to account for the social charges and currency changes associated with the 36% share appreciation since March 31. A person wearing headphones listening to an audio streaming service. The analyst also told investors that the firm believes that the mid and long-term growth at 'the global streaming audio leader remains intact.' He supported this optimistic outlook for Spotify Technology S.A. (NYSE:SPOT) by citing potential tier expansion, core pricing power, the early-stage commerce opportunity presented by app-store changes, and the expanded delivery of audio formats led by podcasts and audiobooks. Spotify Technology S.A. (NYSE:SPOT) provides digital music services. The company operates through the Premium and the Ad-Supported segments. While we acknowledge the potential of SPOT as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you're looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock. READ NEXT: The Best and Worst Dow Stocks for the Next 12 Months and 10 Unstoppable Stocks That Could Double Your Money. Disclosure: None.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Returns On Capital Are Showing Encouraging Signs At Inghams Group (ASX:ING)
If you're looking for a multi-bagger, there's a few things to keep an eye out for. Typically, we'll want to notice a trend of growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and alongside that, an expanding base of capital employed. Put simply, these types of businesses are compounding machines, meaning they are continually reinvesting their earnings at ever-higher rates of return. So on that note, Inghams Group (ASX:ING) looks quite promising in regards to its trends of return on capital. Trump has pledged to "unleash" American oil and gas and these 15 US stocks have developments that are poised to benefit. For those that aren't sure what ROCE is, it measures the amount of pre-tax profits a company can generate from the capital employed in its business. The formula for this calculation on Inghams Group is: Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) ÷ (Total Assets - Current Liabilities) 0.12 = AU$204m ÷ (AU$2.4b - AU$658m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2024). So, Inghams Group has an ROCE of 12%. In absolute terms, that's a satisfactory return, but compared to the Food industry average of 8.1% it's much better. Check out our latest analysis for Inghams Group Above you can see how the current ROCE for Inghams Group compares to its prior returns on capital, but there's only so much you can tell from the past. If you'd like, you can check out the forecasts from the analysts covering Inghams Group for free. Inghams Group's ROCE growth is quite impressive. More specifically, while the company has kept capital employed relatively flat over the last five years, the ROCE has climbed 72% in that same time. Basically the business is generating higher returns from the same amount of capital and that is proof that there are improvements in the company's efficiencies. It's worth looking deeper into this though because while it's great that the business is more efficient, it might also mean that going forward the areas to invest internally for the organic growth are lacking. To bring it all together, Inghams Group has done well to increase the returns it's generating from its capital employed. Investors may not be impressed by the favorable underlying trends yet because over the last five years the stock has only returned 33% to shareholders. So with that in mind, we think the stock deserves further research. If you'd like to know more about Inghams Group, we've spotted 2 warning signs, and 1 of them is concerning. For those who like to invest in solid companies, check out this free list of companies with solid balance sheets and high returns on equity. — Investing narratives with Fair Values A case for TSXV:USA to reach USD $5.00 - $9.00 (CAD $7.30–$12.29) by 2029. By Agricola – Community Contributor Fair Value Estimated: CA$12.29 · 0.9% Overvalued DLocal's Future Growth Fueled by 35% Revenue and Profit Margin Boosts By WynnLevi – Community Contributor Fair Value Estimated: $195.39 · 0.9% Overvalued Historically Cheap, but the Margin of Safety Is Still Thin By Mandelman – Community Contributor Fair Value Estimated: SEK232.58 · 0.1% Overvalued View more featured narratives — Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.
