Report: Warner Bros. Discovery Close to Finalizing ‘Max’ as Combined Streaming Service Name

HDMax; Warner Bros.+; DiscoMax; Your One-Stop, Eclectic Entertainment Emporium+. There are lots of compelling names that Warner Bros. Discovery could have opted to adopt for its soon-to-launch streaming service that will combine the programming and user capabilities of both HBO Max and discovery+. However, according to a report from CNBC's Alex Sherman and Lillian Rizzo, WBD’s lawyers are currently attempting to clear the name “Max” for the service.

Set to launch in spring 2023, executives haven’t officially finalized the decision, but CNBC’s sources say that “Max” is the likely choice. During the process, WBD gave the new platform the code name “BEAM”; the company’s Chief Technology Officer for Streaming Avi Saxena told The Streamable last month how important code names are for projects.

One of the primary concerns for WarnerBros Discovery in the naming process reportedly is being able to give the new service its own identity. While the HBO branding adds to the prestige of the platform, with the addition of the lower-brow, unscripted content from the Discovery side of the business, CNBC reports that executives have been concerned about the impact that it could have on the entire HBO image, something that has continued to be an issue since David Zaslav took over as the head of the company once Discovery acquired WarnerMedia earlier this year.

In attempts to reduce the combined company’s budget by $3 billion, Zaslav has instituted dramatic changes at WBD, including canceling content, cutting employees, and losing a lot of goodwill with consumers and creatives. However, with the launch of Max — or whatever it is eventually called — in the spring, the company will finally have an opportunity to give customers a look at its full vision for what Warner Bros. Discovery streaming can be.

The new service will reportedly feature a number of technical improvements that Zaslav referenced during WBD's third-quarter earnings call. The goal will be to remedy some of the continued pain points on the HBO Max platform and integrate the content and best functionality aspects of discovery+ into a single service.

As of the end of September, Warner Bros. Discovery boasted 94.9 million streaming subscribers worldwide across HBO Max and discovery+, but that figure only included an additional 500,000 domestic customers who added service in Q3. As the final details for “Max” are put in place, being able to find the right price point to keep HBO Max and discovery+ subscribers — who are used to much different monthly subscription rates — engaged will be an important hurdle that WBD must get over.