iWorld
HBO Max, HBO add 2.8 mn subs in Q2, WarnerMedia’s revenues touch $8.8 billion.
New Delhi: Media and telecommunications giant AT&T showed continued customer growth in wireless, fiber and HBO Max in the second quarter, the company has said. In its Q2 report released on Thursday, AT&T reported consolidated revenues of $44 billion, up from $41 billion in Q2 2020.
WarnerMedia’s total revenues climbed to $8.8 billion from 8.5 billion in Q1 indicating partial recovery from the impact of the pandemic.
HBO Max and HBO added 2.8 million domestic subscribers. Total domestic subscribers for both topped 47 million — up 10.7 million from the past year and 67.5 million globally, up 12 million in the past year. The parent company has also raised its expectations for HBO/HBO Max growth by the end of 2021, and now expects 70 million-73 million global HBO Max/HBO subscribers by the end of year.
“We are pleased with our performance and our momentum is strong,” said AT&T CEO John Stankey. “For the fourth consecutive quarter, we saw good subscriber growth across wireless, fiber and HBO Max. Mobility delivered strong service revenue, EBITDA and postpaid phone growth. Our fiber business grew subscribers and penetration.”
The company’s top executive said, HBO Max had another strong quarter and is ahead of plan to be a leading direct-to-consumer streaming platform, with both subscriber- and ad-supported choices. “As a result, we’re raising our global HBO Max year-end forecast to 70 million to 73 million subscribers. Also, we’re updating full-year guidance for consolidated revenue, wireless service revenue, adjusted EPS and free cash flow,” he said.
Early this May, AT&T and Discovery Inc. had agreed to combine their media assets into a new public traded company. The deal is expected to be completed by mid-2022 pending regulatory approvals. “No news is good news… We continue to move through it,” said Stankey responding to a media query on the deal.
The merged entity to be led by current Discovery chief executive David Zaslav will bring together brands like HBO, Warner Bros., Discovery, DC Comics, CNN, Cartoon Network, HGTV, Food Network, the Turner Networks, TNT, TBS, Eurosport, Magnolia, TLC, Animal Planet, ID. The larger aim is to compete globally in the fast-growing direct-to-consumer business- bringing compelling content to DTC subscribers across its portfolio, including HBO Max and the recently launched discovery+.
iWorld
OpenAI hits back at Elon Musk’s lawsuit ahead of trial
Company calls claims “baseless” and accuses Musk of trying to disrupt a rival.
MUMBAI: When the stakes are measured in billions and egos are involved, even Silicon Valley titans can turn a courtroom into a battlefield. OpenAI has issued a sharp public response to Elon Musk’s ongoing lawsuit, accusing the billionaire of filing the case to harass a competitor rather than address genuine concerns. In a strongly worded statement shared on its official X account, OpenAI described Musk’s allegations as “baseless” and suggested the lawsuit is an attempt to disrupt the company as the case heads toward trial later this month in Oakland, California.
The response comes after Musk’s legal team recently amended the complaint, proposing that any damages potentially exceeding $150 billion should go to OpenAI’s nonprofit entity rather than to Musk personally. OpenAI questioned the timing and motive behind this change, calling it a late-stage attempt to “pretend to change his tune” on the nonprofit structure.
The company further labelled the lawsuit a “harassment campaign”, arguing that Musk’s actions are driven by personal rivalry, ego, and a desire for greater control and financial upside.
At the heart of the dispute is Musk’s claim that OpenAI has abandoned its original nonprofit mission of developing artificial intelligence for the benefit of humanity. A co-founder who left in 2018, Musk is seeking governance changes, including the removal of CEO Sam Altman from the nonprofit board, and the return of certain financial gains linked to Altman and President Greg Brockman.
OpenAI has firmly rejected these allegations, maintaining that its current hybrid structure, a public-benefit corporation overseen by a nonprofit parent remains true to its long-term goals. The company has also previously accused Musk of anti-competitive behaviour aimed at weakening its leadership.
As the case prepares for a jury trial, this public exchange highlights the deepening rift between two of the most influential figures in the AI revolution and raises broader questions about governance, mission, and power in the fast-moving world of artificial intelligence.
In the high-stakes game of AI, it seems the real drama isn’t just inside the models, it’s playing out in courtrooms too.
