HBO has launched ‘Recommended by Humans’, a “human-powered show recommendation tool”.
The standalone website features 50 free HBO episodes, movies and documentaries – all complemented by video suggestions and fan tweets. Users can scroll through the site and read micro-reviews of the network’s critically acclaimed shows such as Westworld, The Sopranos and Chernobyl.
A release from the Warner-owned HBO says that the website is designed to “celebrate the emotional connection HBO viewers have with the network’s programming and illustrates the power of recommendations from real humans who, simply put, really love television.”
In effect, Recommended by Humans is an elaborate marketing tool, showcasing an array of content on offer from HBO and a not-so-subtle dig at Netflix, which has become notorious for its use of algorithms and AI to dictate the viability of content.
Lisa Hanawalt, creator of the instant cult favourite Tuca & Bertie which was recently cancelled, has aired her displeasure with the way that Netflix’s technologies can often dictate its programming. Despite an outpouring of fan support, Hanawalt tweeted that “none of this makes a difference to an algorithm”.
By contrast, HBO has a much smaller slate of content, instead focusing on award-winning and critically acclaimed shows with in-house productions.
A full list of programmes which users can watch the first episode of for free is available here.
.@Facebook to pull plug on Champions League and La Liga broadcast deals digitaltveurope.com/2021/03/05/fac… https://t.co/4gSRBqpZcF
05 March 2021 @ 12:05:32 UTC
.@paramountplus launches digitaltveurope.com/2021/03/05/par… https://t.co/HycDlAj702
05 March 2021 @ 11:04:36 UTC
ICYMI: Telefónica launches standalone Brazilian fibre network FiBrasil digitaltveurope.com/2021/03/04/tel… https://t.co/9Jmy315VWN
04 March 2021 @ 21:05:00 UTC
ICYMI: @canalplus adds 1.5 million subs for the year digitaltveurope.com/2021/03/04/can… https://t.co/ADqVXwwwVr
04 March 2021 @ 20:02:00 UTC
ICYMI: Kevin Mayer in at @dazngroup as chairman, Skipper to remain on board as strategic advisor… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…
04 March 2021 @ 19:00:01 UTC