WarnerMedia adds 4.3 million HBO Max and HBO subscribers in 4Q 2021

DALLAS — AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) reported fourth-quarter results that showed continuing customer growth in wireless, fiber and HBO Max. For the full year, AT&T continued to lead the industry in postpaid phone net adds, gaining more subscribers than in the prior 10 years combined; added more than 1 million fiber subscribers — the fourth consecutive year in which it has added 1 million or more subscribers; and surpassed the high end of its guidance for global HBO Max and HBO subscribers with nearly 74 million subscribers at the end of 2021.

WarnerMedia

At the end of the quarter, there were 73.8 million global HBO Max and HBO subscribers, up 13.1 million year over year and up 4.3 million sequentially, driven by international as well as domestic retail subscriber gains. At the end of the quarter, there were 46.8 million domestic HBO Max and HBO subscribers versus 41.5 million in the year-ago quarter, up 5.3 million year over year. Domestic subscriber ARPU was $11.15.

Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) Operating Volumes and Statistics
(in thousands, unaudited)

                                           6/30/20   9/30/20  12/31/20   3/31/21   6/30/21   9/30/21  12/31/21
                                          --------  --------  --------  --------  --------  --------  --------
Total Global HBO Max and HBO Subscribers    55,576    56,894    60,613    63,921    67,527    69,414    73,751
 Domestic HBO Max and HBO Subscribers[1]    36,347    38,033    41,528    44,183    47,029    45,181    46,790
  HBO Max - Wholesale                       23,594    25,106    30,785    30,935    31,451    29,026    29,369
  HBO Max - Retail                           2,975     3,625     6,880     9,693    12,077    12,647    13,910
  HBO                                        5,918     5,614       197        55        32        30        29
  HBO Commercial                             3,860     3,688     3,666     3,500     3,469     3,478     3,482
 International HBO Subscribers[2]           19,229    18,861    19,085    19,738    20,498    24,233    26,961

Domestic ARPU[3]                            $11.72    $11.43    $11.46    $11.72    $11.90    $11.82    $11.15

1. Domestic HBO Max and HBO Subscribers include the following categories of U.S. accounts: (1) HBO Max – Wholesale: accounts that have access to HBO Max through a wholesale distributor (including wholesale subscribers that may not have signed in), (2) HBO Max – Retail: accounts that have access to HBO Max and are billed directly by WarnerMedia or by a third party via in-app purchase, (3) HBO: accounts that do not have access to HBO Max, and (4) HBO Commercial: commercial accounts that do not have access to HBO Max and are billed on a bulk basis (e.g., hotels, etc.). Domestic HBO Max and HBO Subscribers do not include free trials or Cinemax subscribers.
2. International HBO Max and HBO Subscribers consist of non-domestic accounts with access to HBO Max (including wholesale subscribers that may not have signed in) and HBO accounts, and exclude free trial, basic and Cinemax subscribers.
3. Domestic ARPU is defined as Domestic HBO Max and HBO Subscriber revenues during the period divided by average Domestic HBO Max and HBO Subscribers during the period, excluding HBO Commercial and other bulk-billed revenues and subscribers during the period.