Why stop at “unsafe”? Older shows like “Tennicious D” and popular dramas and comedies fit well with the No. 1 streamer’s audience
In an unexpected turn in the streaming sector, Warner Bros. Discovery is reportedly discussing the possibility of licensing some of its original HBO content to competitor Netflix. This strategy differs from the industry’s more recent streaming strategy of curating content for its own direct-to-consumer services.
This isn’t the first time that HBO has explored syndication, with “Curb Your Enthusiasm” airing on the TV Guide network and “Entourage” on Spike. And from 2014 to 2018, HBO licensed the show to Amazon’s Prime Video. Still, it’s been several years since HBO originals were available on the Warner Bros. Discovery-owned service.
The roster of HBO shows potentially headed to Netflix hasn’t been revealed, but according to recent reports, This includes high-profile titles such as “vulnerable”. Until an actual deal is struck, we can only speculate on HBO shows that mesh well with Netflix’s content catalog. Data from Parrot Analytics — which takes into account consumer research, streaming, downloads and other engagements including social media — provides insight into audience overlap between different shows.
The chart below displays the HBO and Max shows with the most significant audience overlap with Netflix originals, expressed as shared audience percentage. This suggests that “Tennicious D”, despite ending in 2000 and not being a blockbuster hit, shared a large portion of its audience with light-hearted Netflix flicks like “Somebody Feed Phil” and “W/Bob & David”. does.
The roster of shows with high Netflix affinity also includes recent productions. For example, the Max animated series “Adventure Time: Distant Lands” shares a viewer base with Netflix animated series such as “Arcane” and “She-Ra and the Princesses of Power”. In terms of viewership, “Watchmen” is on par with Netflix’s superhero titles and dark dramas.
Eight of the top 20 shows with the most engagement with Netflix are dramas, led by HBO’s massive hit “Game of Thrones” — an unlikely candidate for licensing. Up next, however, is “Young Justice,” an animated superhero series that just aired its latest season on Max. Warner Bros. Discovery has already licensed some DC shows to Netflix, which makes it a logical candidate.
HBO and Max series with highest engagement with Netflix, January-May 2023 (Parrett Analytics)
With six titles, comedy is another genre strongly represented in the show sharing a high regard with Netflix titles. Shows like “Bored to Death,” “Vice Principles” and “Crashing: US” mesh well with Netflix’s extensive comedy collection. Finally, two documentaries, “Q: Into the Storm” and “George Carlin’s American Dream” make the list. These shows will find similar audiences on Netflix, as it is the most popular outlet for documentary content in the US market.
Daniel Quinod is a Senior Data Analyst at Parrot Analytics, RapPro Partner. For more information from Parrot Analytics, Visit the Data & Analytics Hub,
