Netflix vs. HBO GO – Which streaming “guru” will be the winner during the second wave of the pandemic?!

During the second wave of the pandemic, the „battle” between Hungarian streaming service providers seems to restart. However, it is still unknown which contents will attract viewers during the unusual Christmas period and what novelties can be expected when there is hardly any new premiere or movie.

In the state of emergency during the first wave of the pandemic, Hungarian streaming service providers had traffic similar to Christmas holidays. Suddenly, a lot of Hungarians subscribed and spent much more time consuming content than before.

Even though Netflix has been present in the Hungarian market since 2006, it started to conquer the Hungarian customers only last October, thanks to the introduction of the localised, Hungarian menu-based new interface. As a result of this novelty, the audience has expanded significantly. The Hungarian Netflix provides its packages with a trial period of 30 days, at a favourable price – between EUR 7-11/month (~HUF 2,490-3,990 /month).

Read also: Watch the greatest Hungarian movies on Netflix!

Still, due to the price sensitiveness of Hungarians, there is an even more widely preferred streaming provider — namely, HBO GO — providing its services for a monthly fee of EUR 5/month (~HUF 1,890/month). However, the trial period of HBO GO is only seven days.

Even though there are several smaller competitors in the Hungarian market, the two major providers are likely to have the most significant number of users.

Even though exact numbers are not known, JustWatch.com, a collection portal for streaming subscriptions, saw a 40% interest in Netflix and a 20% interest in HBO GO. For them, Amazon’s service, Prime Video, is also outstandingly popular: it has even dropped HBO streaming by 1%.

During the first wave of the pandemic, the number of subscribers and the time spent with consuming content has increased significantly. The proportion of new subscriptions during the first wave was 61% in the case of Netflix, and 24% in the case of HBO GO. And of those who planned to subscribe, 53% planned to subscribe to Netflix, 21% to HBO GO, 7-7% to Disney + and YouTube Premium, and 4% to Apple TV +.

Due to the new restrictive measures and the uncertainty of this year’s Christmas holidays, a new boom of subscriptions can be expected.

The period between Christmas and New Year’s Eve is already written in gold letters on the streaming calendar: there are plenty of seasonal subscribers. However, this year we will probably spend more time in front of the TV, that will result in an even higher boom than generally during this period. Furthermore, as Christmas time is coming, it is likely that many more will choose a gift that can be bought or ordered online, or that they can easily pass on even if they cannot meet their loved ones in person. Netflix has been thinking about this in advance and previously launched a gift card for Valentine’s day; something similar could be a hit during Christmas time.

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Even though not so many premieres and new movies can be expected this year; according to HBO experts, the so-called library content will be appreciated,

including older, classic movies and series like Harry Potter, Home Alone, Love Actually or Bud Spencer films, along with several Hungarian movies.

However, content production has pretty much been hampered by the pandemic, so we’re wondering what Netflix and HBO GO will figure out for Christmas. They will undoubtedly strive to bring us the best available films and series to endure the confinement, just like during the first wave.

Read also:

• Netflix acquires rights to Hungarian directors film – VIDEO
• Hungary featured twice in Netflix’s original documentary series Our Planet – VIDEO

Source: penzcentrum.hu