Highlights
- Fear the Walking Dead and other popular shows will soon be available for streaming on a major platform, making it easier for fans to access their favorite content.
- AMC Networks is partnering with Warner Bros. Discovery to bring their critically acclaimed programming to millions of Max subscribers in the U.S.
- This move to streaming is a strategic decision for AMC, as it aims to stay relevant in the changing television landscape and attract more viewers to its network.
Shows like The Walking Dead spin-off Fear the Walking Dead are the last bastions of cable television, but soon they can be found on a streaming platform near you.
Streaming has become so prevalent that consumers rarely have cable subscriptions anymore. Fear the Walking Dead fans can download AMC Plus for a price, but now the network is making it easier than ever. The Walking Dead fans who want their horror-based content in one place can find it on one of the biggest streaming platforms in the conversation.
Though this is exciting news, fans shouldn’t rest on their laurels. When the AMC show starts streaming, they should act quickly. Many shows from the network will stream on Max in a dedicated section called “AMC+ Picks on Max" at no extra cost to Max's ad-supported and ad-free tiers. However, they will only be available for a limited time. Fear the Walking Dead will be available starting September 1 until October 31, just in time for Halloween. “AMC Networks makes great shows, and our goal is to bring these shows to as many people as possible, in ways that best serve viewers,” Dan McDermott, head of entertainment for AMC Studios, said in a statement disclosed by The Hollywood Reporter. “This promotional arrangement with Warner Bros. Discovery is a terrific opportunity to serve up some of our most popular and critically acclaimed programming to millions of Max subscribers in the U.S. for two full months.”
The Walking Dead spin-off is not the only one to find its way to a new home. Other shows of note, such as Anne Rice's Interview With the Vampire, Gangs of London, and A Discovery of Witches, will always be available to stream. If there is one thing these shows have in common, they are niche genre series that will probably do well on Max. Fans of apocalyptic series The Last of Us will probably be the first to devour a rehash of The Walking Dead. This move makes sense for AMC if it is trying to drive consumers to its network. Times have changed, and streaming is the most accessible way to view content. The once powerful network, home to shows like Breaking Bad and Mad Men, has languished in recent years, trying to compete with subscription-based platforms.
This move is especially calculated in light of the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. With no guarantee of content creation until the end of the strike, the network needs something to stay afloat. Production is at a standstill because of the dual strike, and when it becomes resolved, AMC will need more fans to return for shows such as another The Walking Dead spin-off featuring Daryl Dixon (Norman Reedus). Depending on how the strike resolves, this could be to their benefit. Streaming has effectively destroyed residuals for writers and actors, and if they come to a decision that benefits everyone, perhaps cable will be more relevant than it is now. Only time will tell when this new theory goes into practice.
Fear the Walking Dead and others will start streaming on Max on September 1, 2023.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter