The biggest driver of subscribers for HBO Max in 2021 was not exclusive premieres of blockbuster films like Godzilla vs. Kong or even Zack Snyder’s long-awaited redo of Justice League. Instead, it was a show that hasn’t aired a new episode since George W. Bush was president.
How big was Friends: The Reunion for HBO Max? Almost superhero-big, according to third-party data. Friends: The Reunion was watched by an estimated 29% of U.S. streaming households on May 27, the first day of its release, as measured by TVision, a connected-TV analytics provider. Viewers of the special on HBO Max were 55.4% female, and more than 50% were in the 35-54 demo. By comparison, DC’s Wonder Woman 1984 reached 32% of U.S. streaming households when it bowed on Christmas Day 2020 on HBO Max, per TVision.
