Breaking: Warner Bros. Discovery Officially Names New Combined Streaming Service ‘Max’
The saga of the integration of discovery+ content onto HBO Max has taken more twists and turns than a Hollywood blockbuster. Thanks to a press conference held Wednesday by the parent company of those two streamers Warner Bros. Discovery, users now have a lot more clarity as to the future of streaming video on its new service, including that service’s name.
WBD has officially settled on the name “Max” for its new streaming platform. The name was first rumored to be the company’s choice all the way back in December, but WBD has denied ever since that Max was to be the moniker for its new streaming platform.
Despite those denials, signs kept pointing to the use of Max as the company’s new streaming brand ever since December. Earlier this week, The Streamable noted the URL max.com was registered to Markmonitor, a domain management and security firm that works with large corporations, including Warner Bros. Discovery. Until mid-February, that domain had been registered to the vitamin and supplement brand Max International.
It’s entirely possible the denials from WBD were intended to keep things moving until it had officially secured the domain name it needed. Whatever the case, the speculation has officially been put to rest; like HBO Now, HBO Max is dead. Long live Max.
The saga of the new streaming platform’s name is far from the only storyline worth attending in WBD’s efforts to revamp its streaming offerings. Plans for Max began almost immediately after Discovery first acquired WarnerMedia in the spring of 2022. At that time, the company planned to merge HBO Max and discovery+ completely, giving users just one platform to subscribe to instead of two. That plan was in place all the way through fall and winter, when WBD announced the new service would launch in spring of 2023.
But in early February, the company shocked analysts and reporters by announcing that it was executing a major pivot; while the new service would still integrate much of the content from discovery+ onto HBO Max, discovery+ would remain a standalone streaming platform. According to company executives, this was done to ensure more cost-conscious discovery+ users would not be driven away from the company if they couldn’t afford a subscription to Max.
There are plenty of changes still ahead for WBD in its streaming future. After taking a well-deserved rest, company executives will shift toward building a new streaming platform to house free ad-supported TV (FAST) channels. All signs point to the fact that Warner Bros. Discovery is set to take streaming video to the Max.
Max
Max is a subscription video streaming service that gives access to the full HBO library, along with exclusive Max Originals. There are hubs for content from TLC, HGTV, Food Network, Discovery, TCM, Cartoon Network, Travel Channel, ID, and more. Watch hit series like “The Last of Us,” “House of the Dragon,” “Succession,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” and more. Thanks to the B/R Sports add-on, users can watch NBA, MLB, NHL, March Madness, and NASCAR events.
How to Enter the Max Annual Subscription Giveaway
Given the announcement, we’re giving away an annual subscription to the new Max platform. Enter below.
Note: This contest is sponsored by The Streamable and is not affiliated or endorsed by Warner Brothers Discovery or its subsidiaries.