Fans cozied up to HBO Max this holiday season as December marked the streamer’s most-viewed month since its launch in May 2020 in terms of hours viewed, thanks to its programming lineup.
The programming included fresh Max Originals like And Just Like That… and The Sex Lives of College Girls, finales of HBO favorites Succession, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and Insecure, and blockbusters like The Matrix Resurrections and King Richard.
The month kicked off with the final episodes of the runaway hit The Sex Lives of College Girls, delivering series-high viewership and a 76% jump in viewership from its series premiere day performance.
With consistent week-over-week growth, the half-hour comedy has proven to be a top performer, ranking as the second-best start for a Max Original comedy on the platform only behind And Just Like That… and No. 2 in the EU and Latin America among Max Original half-hour series.
And Just Like That… continued its reign throughout the month as the No. 1 series on HBO Max in the US, EU, and Latin America since its release. The new chapter remains the best start for any series to date on the platform and has been the top series every week since its debut.
Viewership of its most recent episodes on Thursday, December 30th, spiked nearly 20% from the week prior for its largest single-day audience since debut. The new series also has fans nostalgic for the original, lifting Sex and the City to new platform highs throughout December.
Succession’s jaw-dropping finale delivered a series-high across all platforms, with total viewing increasing 47% versus the season two finale, 21% from the season three premiere, and 8% from the prior week’s episode.
The final two Warner Bros. Pictures films to debut on HBO Max the same day as their theatrical premieres were The Matrix Resurrections and King Richard, both debuting to strong viewership.
The Matrix Resurrections closed out the month with a mind-bending performance, securing a top 4 spot among Warner Bros.’s day-and-date films for the year.
It was the most-watched film overall on HBO Max in December, boosting viewing of previous films in The Matrix franchise as well.
The momentum continued into the New Year, with Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint bringing the magic to HBO Max.
Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts, the retrospective celebrating one of the most beloved film franchises of all time, debuted as the platform’s top title overall for the week in the US, EU, and Latin America, despite only being available for two days. It had the second-best start of any special on HBO Max, ranking only behind Friends: The Reunion.
Additionally, the new series Harry Potter: Hogwarts Tournament of Houses and the Harry Potter movies all experienced a strong halo effect from the arrival of the special, with the new competition series ranking 3rd among all series on HBO Max over the weekend and all eight movies ranking among the top 15 movies in the week and seeing double-digit gains versus the prior week.
Mirko Parlevliet has been reporting on the entertainment industry since 1998 and founded Vital Thrills in 2018 to cover the latest news on streaming, movies, TV, and video games.