It's been said that publicity is publicity, regardless whether it's good or bad. If HBO Max doesn't care about negative reviews and comments - and it probably doesn't since it's reportedly already greenlit Season 2 of Velma - then it can celebrate two big achievements of the Mindy Kaling-led animated series in one go.
According to Kaling, Velma just set a new record as the most-watched animated original show on HBO Max. Unfortunately, Velma is one of the worst TV shows on Rotten Tomatoes as well as IMDB.
The backlash against Velma is understandable, if justified. It's an alternative take on the original family-friendly source that diversifies the cast by turning the lead characters, like the titular geeky girl, into Indian American, Daphne as Asian American, and Shaggy as African American. Also, there's no Scooby-Doo and it's an R-rated spin-off that alienates the intended target audiences, which are kids and families looking for family-friendly material.
To clarify, this is a Scooby-Doo spin-off that doesn't include the iconic Great Dane as part of its cast, which is downright bizarre.