EXCLUSIVE: For all the noise about David Zaslav’s quest to find $3 billion in cost-saving initiatives at the newly merged Warner Bros Discovery, what remains important to the new CEO is to spend on content where those dollars pay off.
Is that what you are looking for? Why on the launch of HBO’s near $200M Game of Thrones Spinoff series House of the DragonThe premiere will be broadcast on Sunday, both on the pay-TV channel and on streaming service HBO Max. Sources inform Deadline that HBO’s biggest marketing campaign ever is valued at over $100M in media spend (that’s a combo of ad spot value and hard cash shelled out). That’s a theatrical tentpole size marketing budget by all accounts, not some thrifty, Netflix-type push to subscribers on its menu. Zaslav made this point today in his congratulatory email to staffers (obtained from Deadline). House of the Dragon‘s debut, it’It already paid off with the series campaign “reached nearly 130 million people in the U.S. alone”While also representing a united front across most brands in Warner Bros Discovery to tubthumb this show.
Pia Barlow, EVP Marketing at HBO Originals Marketing spoke to Deadline and stated that the m.o. The following are the House of the Dragon A marketing campaign was launched “galvanize both new and existing fans,”This demo is for men and women aged 18-54.
“The House of the Dragon campaign is really about generating big, broad awareness and interest throughout the summer but to also make sure we’re signaling to existing fans as well as new fans alike, that this is a new Game of Thrones story coming to HBO Max,”Barlow also adds.
“It has also been exciting to see teams across the company work collaboratively with the HBO team in what has been an unprecedented cross-promotional campaign. And we’ve done all of this in just a few short months, clearly showing what we can accomplish when our networks, streaming platforms, digital and social channels, all work collectively in support of one shared priority,” Zaslav emphasized this AM about the conglom’s plan to micro target viewers in a marketing push that has spanned social media, outdoor, digital, traditional TV spots and splashy promotions on such distribution partners like Xfinity cable (where there’s a HOTDdestination on their X1 or Flex video platforms) as well as Roku, which produced a special episode for their content buzz show. The Roku Rundown.
Warner Bros Discovery, if the House of Targaryen are rich in dragons then it is an embarrassment of riches when compared to ad spaces with them. HOTDAccording to advertising stat org iSpot such channels as TBS (20.9%), Discovery (9.1%), TNT (7%), CNN (7.4%), and Food Network (6.6%) are all getting pumped. If you’re were watching HGTV you’d catch a fire-breathing dragon popping up in the bottom of the screen during your favorite show in a banner to promote the Ryan J. Condal co-created series. iSpot also reports that 99.1% of HBO’s promo TV ad impressions since July 20 came from HOTD.
A notable mention is made in the section on teamworkHOTD among Warner Bros Discovery channels was the exclusive look at the Martin series on the debut night of Discovery’s Shark Week Sunday, July 24, Cross-promotion is more? How about the members of TNT’s All Elite Wrestling team sitting on the new GOTThe throne HOTD San Diego Comic-Con Experience (read down).
In regards to the future success of HBO Max, Zaslav has made it clear that it’s in the catalog of series, and marquee Warner Bros theatrical titles hitting the service 45 days after they’re in cinemas. The Warner Bros Discovery bean-counters see no upside in distributing movies directly through HBO Max, as they did under the previous WarnerMedia system under Jason Kilar. It’s a tremendous waste of money, and they’re availability in theaters and homes simultaneously diminishes their patina, as well as their resonance in subsequent ancillary windows. Not to mention there’s research out there to prove that frosh subscribers come for a movie then bail on the service. It’s the weekly drop of a hot episodic series such as HOTDThis keeps subs locked into their accounts. Windowed theatrical films on HBO Max are more popular than day-and date. We’ve heard that the first weekend ofFantastic Beasts from the Secrets of Dumbledore on HBO Max after its 45 days in theaters ($95M domestic box office) drove close to 20% of the traffic to the OTT service, while in the pic’s first week, it was responsible for a third of HBO Max’s traffic. Samba TV, an independent streaming measurement company, reported that the first seven days of Samba TV’s streaming measurement was successful. The Batman After its theatrical run of 45 days, HBO Max drew in 4.1 millions households. This is more than the first week of day-and-date Warner movies. The Suicide Squad(3.5M),Wonder Woman 1984(3.2M),The Matrix Resurrections(3.2M) andDune(2.3M).
TheHOTDThe campaign began with two teaser videos, Oct. 5, 2021 (17.1M YouTube Views) and May 5, 20,22 (14M You Tube Views). But then the marketing mojo kicked into high gear heading into San Diego Comic-Con which saw a walk-up trailer drop (July 20, 18.8M YT view), the Hall H panel with the cast, Condal and an extended trailer; the DracARys dragon-egg hatching app, and The House of the Dragon: Dragon’s Den live experience; the latter pulling in 4k attendees who walked through the series’ castle world adorn with actors in cosplay. All of these efforts continue to shine for HBO’s social media; SDCC being “the gift that keeps on giving,”Barlow claims that the website has generated 102M impressions and 128K followers. House of the DragonAndGame of ThronesUse social media channels.
“Select the (dragon’s) egg wisely” #HouseoftheDragon #SDCC pic.twitter.com/1aB6mcYoFx
— Deadline Hollywood (@DEADLINE) July 21, 2022
Learn the Dragon’s Way #HouseoftheDragon #SDCC pic.twitter.com/ZbQcb6q9tD
— Deadline Hollywood (@DEADLINE) July 21, 2022
Barlow says moreHOTD’s big footprint at Comic-Con, “The timing couldn’t have been more perfect. It was right in our launch window and because it was the first time we were going to be back truly in full force after a few years, we knew that there was going to be this pent-up demand and excitement from fans, and we’ve had pretty significant presence in the past with Game of Thrones at Comic-Con. So, there was almost an expectation that we also wanted to make sure we were fulfilling for fans.”
RelishMix, an analytics company for social media, recorded how loud it was.HOTD,HBO “took an solid organic approach to engaging fans of the GOT franchise social network of 44.1M — as early as casting in preproduction to engaging them with new social channels for HOTD, now built across Facebook Twitter, YouTube, Instagram and TikTok.” Add in HBO Max’s followers and the social media universe reach for the new Westeros World series stands at close to 313M.
“Material hasn’t been flooded, but selectively posted with only 12 videos on Facebook at 11.1M views and fewer on YouTube with 134.2M views, all cross-posted on earned channels,”RelishMix, in their most recent report to Deadline, says: “The Comic-con announcements and live panel spiked a wave of materials leading-up to the streaming premiere weekend.”
A new Snapchat selfie + AR lens that is world-facing will be running throughout the season, and it will also take place on Sunday at the premiere. AR developers who are members of Snap’s global Lens Network are building custom Landmarker AR experiences in their local markets, which include AR renderings of theHOTDAs they overthrow global landmarks, dragons will be their new friends. You can unlock the Landmarker lenses via the Lens Carousel SnapchatThe nearest location for teres is a noteworthy one. This lens will be available in Australia, India, North America, North America, North America, Canada, parts of Europe and India. The Landmarker AR experience will be available in Chennai, London and Los Angeles as well as Mumbai, Prague, Prague, and Rio de Janeiro on Sunday.
One of the promo partners isHOTD,there’s Bose which had their sound system featured throughout the Dragon’s DenAt SDCC, Duolingo. The Duolingo event began on July 19. Fans learned High Valyrian in advance of the HOTD premiere. The app’s TikTok viral mascot made an appearance at the HOTDComic-Con activation: He reminded attendees to finish their lessons using life-size push notifications as well as signs with dragon commands written in High Valyrian.
In addition among the promo partners, there’s a monthlong pop-up experience for the series at the Natural History Museum of LA from Aug. 5-Sept. 7. You might be inspired by the exhibits you see, which explore the relics of real-life regimes like ancient Rome or Egypt. HOTDExhibit features
props, costumes, and specially-designed displays to highlight the history of Daenerys Targaryen’s ancestors.
It wouldn’t be an understatement for us to say that there are huge stakes in the rollout House of the Dragon It’s not just about the future GOTDevelopment franchise angle, as well as ratings. The final season ofGame of Thrones left big shoes forHouse of the DragonThere was a lot of empty seats, but that was before HBO Max. GOT in its final season averaged 46M per episode domestically and RelishMix notes there’s chatter on social media of those who are “still not satisfied with the ending.” EuphoriaThe average viewing audience for Season 2 episodes was 19.5M across all platforms.
Still, RelishMix notes social chatter where there’s an “excitement for the new journey back in time 200-years before GOT — from protective dragon lovers who insist that ‘no dragons were hurt in the making of the show’ and feel that they are the core of tale — to Matt Smith super fans who are on the edge — to HBO fans who relish the history of quality programming.”
Ratings windfall forHOTD will no doubt be one of the early wins for Zaslav’s management style which looks to break down the walls between all Warner Bros Discovery brands and amp up their synergies to the nth degree.
Beamed Zaslav today in the closing of his company email “We are committed to building one team with one mission – the third of three strategic priorities I highlighted in our recent earnings call – and the efforts in support of the launch of House of the Dragon are a great indication of how strong we are and what we can do when we work together.”