There’s been a lot of talk lately in regards to whether or not DC Universe will be kept on as a streaming service, and that’s only ramped up in recent months as HBO Max looms on the horizon and promises a bumper collection of content.
Though DC Universe went live with significant fanfare from DC and Warner Bros., it hasn’t exactly been smooth sailing for the service since it first hit the scene. It’s got some solid shows – be it Doom Patrol, Titans or Harley Quinn, among others – but it’s continuously struggled to pick up – and indeed, keep – subscribers.
And now, with HBO Max promising to bring us big budget TV series like Justice League Dark and Green Lantern, not to mention the possibility of future DCEU movies premiering on the service instead of in theaters, it’s certainly starting to look like the more appealing option. And if they end up releasing the Snyder Cut on there, well, then it makes the decision even easier. All of which spells bad news for DC Universe.
In fact, according to Business Insider, the fact that HBO Max has all these major DC projects coming has been causing some confusion amongst observers.
“Little has been announced about its original programming while major DC projects are in development at HBO Max,” writes the outlet. “Some people close to the service told Business Insider they felt it wasn’t a priority for WarnerMedia, and some streaming industry experts said they doubted the longevity of the service in its current form.”
Meanwhile, someone who works at Warner Bros. Digital Labs, a unit that focuses on the company’s streaming services, told BI the following:
“Most of the people who I’d worked with were confused about what HBO Max means for DC Universe. It seems like DC Universe is emphasizing its comics and nobody really seems to know where video falls into that.”
And furthermore, Richard Cooper, research director at data company Ampere Analysis, explained to BI:
“A lot of its content doesn’t have an exclusive feel, which niche services need to secure long-term subscribers. Lots of services have superhero content. We’re not going to run out any time soon and it will be bigger budgets and more exclusivity compared to what DC Universe will be able to provide.”
The full article – which is well worth a read and can be found via the link below – goes into more depth on why DC Universe is in serious trouble right now and while nothing has been confirmed just yet, and WB seems to be planning to roll out more content on the platform, the signs definitely don’t look good. A lot of it will probably depend on how HBO Max does, but if it’s a hit and really takes off, we can’t imagine DC Universe will be around for much longer.