These 5 Max shows might be heading to Netflix

In yet another bid to shore up its finances, Max may be on the verge of giving Netflix subscribers a taste of some of its greatest HBO shows, including a couple of classic Steven Spielberg-produced miniseries and an acclaimed comedy from Issa Rae. 

Deadline is reporting that Max parent Warner Bros. Discovery may be close to licensing some of its HBO-branded shows to Netflix, its fiercest competitor.

It’s a “hugely surprising” move, Deadline writes, but it’s not a complete shock given the lengths to which the big streamers have recently gone to boost revenue and cut costs. 

The good news for Max subscribers is that the shows in question likely won’t be leaving Max; instead, any licensed shows will be available on both Max and Netflix simultaneously, Deadline says.

So, what are some of the shows that Max might license to Netflix? Here are five potential titles, according to Deadline and Vulture:

• Ballers
• Band of Brothers
• Insecure
• The Pacific
• Six Feet Under

Those are just some of the Max titles that might become available on Netflix, with Vulture noting that it’s “very likely” that “several other fan-favorite library titles” will make the move, too. It’s also possible that the deal won’t happen at all.

The titles that could make the move to Netflix include some of HBO’s crown jewels, including the two Spielberg-produced World War II epics, Band of Brothers and The Pacific. Also on the list is the recently wrapped Insecure from Issa Rae, a critically acclaimed hit that ran for five seasons on HBO.

So, why is all this happening? Again, it’s all about money, with the big streamers–including Max–slamming the brakes on the growth-at-all-costs strategy so they can steer toward profitability.

Look no further than Disney+ and Hulu dumping more than 50 shows from their lineups last month, or the former HBO Max palming off shows like Westworld to The Roku Channel.

As Deadline notes, plenty of HBO shows have been available on cable and other streaming venues in the past, with an edited version of Insecure recently airing on OWN, while The Sopranos, The Wire, and Six Feet Under were previously streaming–albeit, a long time ago–on Amazon Prime Video. Meanwhile, HBO’s True Blood made its way to Hulu only last year, according to Vulture.

Still, Max’s move–potentially–to allow some of its best shows to stream on a rival like Netflix is making waves in the industry, and it may give Netflix users a few reasons to put off signing up for Max.