The uncertain future of HBO: the house of 'The Sopranos' and 'Game of Thrones' changes hands and strategy

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The slogan has sounded so much in recent decades that it has already become an axiom:

.

The idea of ​​the pay channel, founded in 1972, was to establish its superiority above the pack with

, and 50 years later hardly anyone disputes that they are a step above the rest.

There remain popular culture references like

,

,

, plus new additions like

,

or

, audiovisual icons of an era that some fear may be under in endangered by the

.

The Warner Media-owned network confirmed its merger with Discovery in April, a move that will see a single

in the summer of 2023 that has yet to be named

and will combine both content.

It was, according to Warner, the only outlet "to make the business viable," Jean-Briac Perrette, CEO and president of

global

at Warner Bros. Discovery, explained in August, sold as a way to offer "something for everyone in home", even at the risk of sacrificing the high quality that has always accompanied the HBO label.

The merger of giants has led to innovations that could greatly change the perception and style of the brand.

For starters, there is a new figure heading the project,

, former executive chairman of Discovery and who has served as CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery since last August.

His reputation precedes him,

.

Zaslav opted for lifestyle shows - cooking, travel, decorating, home remodeling - over the riskier investment of TV series.

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It was Zaslav who orchestrated the 2018 purchase of Scripps Network for $14.6 billion, with channels like HGTV, Food Network and the Magnolia Network owned by one of the most famous couples on American television,

.

He now faces the pressing obligation to cut the budget to reverse course for a ship in serious financial trouble.

and keep shareholders happy, especially after the 35% drop in shares since the merger was approved in April.

It does not seem that he is going to shake his hand when it comes to sacrificing the excellence of the content in favor of the benefit.

Zaslav stormed into office.

The CEO gave the order to

before he could get started.

He didn't shake his hand either when it came to shelving

despite the fact that the tape had already been shot and 90 million dollars had been invested.

The changes are also evident when browsing HBO Max.

Now on the platform

.

The withdrawal of series and movies has been a constant in recent months, sometimes without prior notice to their creators.

The reason is none other than economic:

associated costs of maintaining content that is not consumed in excess, including royalties for actors, producers and others.

According to analysts in the United States, the goal is

, its most loyal viewer base in its years on Discovery, even if that means altering the experience for the millions of loyal HBO.

"If it were up to David Zaslav, I would schedule Chip and Joanna [Gaines] all day," a network executive told

in a report denouncing the change in culture at the network since the arrival of the CEO.

The

have also taken their toll on the environment.

Up to 70 people, Hispanics, blacks and Asians among them, lost their jobs under the new command, which decided to eliminate entire teams involved in spaces for children, family and international content.

.

Due to all these factors, there is a fear that Zaslav will not be up to the level required by a platform like HBO Max, used to dominating the Emmys.

At the last Television Academy Awards, he won the top prize for best drama series for

.

In total, 37 statuettes were taken from the gala, more than the rest of the competitors.

The current moment is complicated, especially when it comes to attracting new subscribers.

The company recognized a

between HBO (the traditional cable channel), HBO Max and Discovery+, which according to August data totaled 92.1 million accounts.

HBO contributes more than 75 million of that cake.

Common sense invites you to pamper them, not to contaminate an almost sacred space in the world of television.

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