Why Was 'Westworld' Removed From HBO Max After Being One of the Network's Biggest Shows?

There's no denying that Westworld was one of the biggest series produced by HBO. The network that worked so hard to turn Game of Thrones into a massive hit was in need of a successor, and the answer came in the form of a thrilling dystopian western drama. While Westworld turned out to be a hit for HBO upon its debut, the ratings continued to drop as the series went on, according to Variety. After the show launched its final episode, it was made available for streaming through HBO Max.

HBO Max was created in order to compete against Netflix's dominance in the streaming market. Warner Bros. knew that they needed quality television shows for their catalog, which is why HBO's biggest productions became one of the marketing hooks for the launch of the platform. After a few years of having their entire portfolio under one roof, Warner Bros. decided to remove Westworld from HBO Max. Why did the studio make it impossible for people to stream the drama through their own app?

The streaming market is very competitive. As audiences continue to crave more thrilling television series that keep them glued to the screen, studios struggle to deliver blockbuster hits that gain the world's attention. During an interview with Variety, Casey Bloys talked about how the streaming rights to some titles have to be sold in order to compensate for major expenses. The Chairman and CEO of HBO and Max content has to make sure the business is profitable.

One of the solutions Warner Bros. found in order to generate more income was to allow other companies to stream Westworld. Roku and Tubi, free ad-supported (FAST) channels, launched, and they allowed people to stream programming for free, with the compromise of audiences sitting through some ads.

In order to give these channels exclusivity when it comes to Westworld, the show was removed from HBO Max's catalog. Fans needed to enjoy their favorite show through these alternatives in the meantime.

The creators of Westworld had previously stated that their plan for the show included five seasons in order to tell their story. In a decision that shocked the entire entertainment industry, HBO canceled the series after the release of the series's fourth season. The cast of Westworld was given financial compensation for the canceled episodes, and one of the biggest series the network had ever produced came to an unexpected conclusion.

After the cancellation of Westworld, Warner Bros. continued to look for a worthy successor to Game of Thrones. It turns out that what the studio needed was to return to Westeros. House of the Dragon, the prequel that takes place more than a century before the original series, has become the blockbuster prestige drama that HBO had been looking for. Viewers can't get enough of the world in which two opposing sides of the Targaryen family fight over the right to sit on the Iron Throne.