Los Angeles (AFP)

A prequel to "Game of Thrones", the 23 seasons of "South Park", an original series by Ridley Scott: WarnerMedia bets on the big names and hit brands for its new platform HBO Max, which will cost $ 14.99 per month from May 2020 in the United States.

The media group has kept this much-needed fan information for the end: The HBO television station has commissioned "House of the Dragon", a series that is part of the cult universe of "Game of Thrones" (The Throne the eighth, and a priori last season was broadcast in the spring.

Co-created by George RR Martin, the author of the books from which "Game of Thrones" is taken, and the scriptwriter Ryan Condal, "House of the Dragon" is 300 years old and tells the story of one of the clans of the medieval and fantastic series (The Targaryen family). The release date has not been announced.

True to its historical choices, HBO Max will offer dozens of other popular brands, from the "Friends" series to "Batman" movies, betting on quality rather than quantity, to differentiate itself from its competitors.

It has acquired the exclusive rights to the 23 seasons of the satirical animated series "South Park" (with three new seasons to follow), which will be added to other successful comedies, such as "Big Bang Theory".

HBO is best known for its adult series, from "Sopranos" to "Big Little Lies", but WarnerMedia intends to rake much wider for its new platform, which will compete with Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney + , Apple TV +, Hulu, Peacock (NBCUniversal), etc.

- "Looney Tunes" -

In terms of original content, the platform intends to attract a more female audience, including a sci-fi series directed by Ridley Scott, "Raised by Wolves", on "two androids who must raise human children on a mysterious virgin planet ".

Jason Bateman will produce and play in an adaptation of Stephen King's "Outsider", while Phoebe Waller-Bridge (lead author and comedian of "Fleabag" on Amazon Prime Video) will produce "Run", a comedy in which she will also perform. 'interpreter.

Julian Fellowes, creator of "Downton Abbey", will return with "The Gilded Age" (New York City, 1885), and screenwriter David Simon, known for the "The Wire" series, which will adapt the novel by Philip Roth "The Conspiracy against America".

The youngest should also find their account with "Sesame Street" or "The Big Adventure Lego", for example. The subsidiary of the telecom operator AT & T has also promised new cartoons of the series "Looney Tunes".

HBO Max will be put into service with 10,000 hours of content, less than the 15,000 hours announced by the NBCUniversal channel for its Peacock platform, which will also be released in the spring of 2020.

Not to mention Netflix, a pioneer firmly installed, the huge Disney + catalog ("Star Wars", Pixar, Marvel, Fox programs like "The Simpsons", etc., for $ 6.99 per month) or Apple TV + and its broken prices ($ 4.99).

- Human brain -

"The market is already full," says Kevin Reilly, one of HBO Max's executives. "But consumption patterns are becoming clear (...): the top 100 titles account for half of total consumption."

"When we have too many options, in the end we are less satisfied with our choice, it's a paradox, but that's how the human brain works," said John Stankey, the boss of WarnerMedia. "We think the value of our proposal increases when we reduce options."

The new platform is therefore supposed to guide the viewer more effectively. In appearance, it looks like other services, but HBO Max relies on humans to make a difference, not just on algorithms.

Users will be encouraged to recommend films and programs by actors and other "influencers".

Broadcasts of the new series will be staggered, not offered in one fell swoop as on Netflix, "because we like to have a cultural impact," says Kevin Reilly.

"HBO successes like + Succession + and + Chernobyl + have been in the air, on a weekly basis, instead of disappearing quickly after compulsive consumption of the type + three small tricks and then leave +".

WarnerMedia targets between 75 and 90 million subscribers by the end of 2025 in the United States, Latin America and Europe. Customers already subscribed to HBO will have access to HBO Max without paying more.

© 2019 AFP