By the end of September, Warner Bros. Discovery reached 110.5 million global streaming subscribers spanning its platforms Max and Discovery+. This marks an increase of 7.2 million users from 103.3 million subscribers at the end of June. The company highlighted that this growth is its largest quarterly increase since Max launched and has led to subscriber gains across all regions.
The company attributed its subscriber growth to several factors, including new market launches for its streaming services, coverage of the Paris Olympics across various international markets, and the addition of fresh content after last year’s Hollywood strikes.
Additionally, U.S. streaming subscriptions also saw a modest increase. Total direct-to-consumer (DTC) segment revenue primarily driven by subscriber gains rose by 9 percent to $2.63 billion.
Warner Bros. Discovery CEO, David Zaslav, said, “We are doing the work necessary to evaluate all steps, operationally and strategically, to improve performance and unlock shareholder value. Getting Max right has required patience, discipline and substantial investment. When this period of extraordinary disruption settles, based on the momentum we are seeing in our direct to consumer segment, the work we’ve done to sustain our linear TV business, and what we’re doing to return our studios to peak performance, I remain confident that Warner Bros. Discovery will be one of the companies leading the global media industry into the future.”
Warner Bros. Discovery reported a profit increase in its direct-to-consumer (DTC) segment, in the most recent financial quarter, which includes streaming and premium pay-TV services, reaching $289 million. This marks a significant rise compared to the $111 million profit recorded in the same quarter last year.
Notably, Warner Bros. Discovery saw an 8 percent increase in its direct-to-consumer (DTC) segment, in its quarterly distribution revenue, excluding foreign exchange effects. This growth was largely attributed to a 15 percent rise in subscribers and higher pricing, supported by the rollout of Max in Latin America and Europe during the first half of 2024, though partly offset by ongoing declines in domestic linear wholesale subscribers.
Advertising revenue driven mainly by an increase in U.S. ad-supported subscribers rose by 51 percent. Globally, the average revenue per user (ARPU) for the DTC segment increased by 1 percent to $7.84, boosted by growth in domestic ad-tier subscribers, higher pricing, and a shift from linear wholesale, tempered by expansion in lower-ARPU international markets.