Max officially changes name back to HBO Max
Max officially changes name back to HBO Max
Warner Bros. Discovery has completed its about-face regarding the name of its marquee streaming service.
There are big changes coming to Warner Bros. Discovery. Soon, the company will become two separate entities, with one dedicated to streaming and making movies, while the other focuses on cable networks such as Food Network, HGTV, and TNT. That evolution is still in its initial stages, but WBD has executed a change on a smaller level that it is hoping will have an outsized effect on engagement; its flagship streaming service has officially been re-re-named back to HBO Max.
Key Details:
- What’s in a name?: WBD lopped the HBO off its streamer’s name in 2023.
- More than just HBO: The original name change was intended to let viewers know that the streamer had absorbed more content from WBD cable channels.
- Leaning into strengths: WBD CEO David Zaslav says that only around 25% of HBO Max programming comes from the company’s cable networks.
The rebranding of WBD’s top streaming service was first announced in May, and the switch became official as of July 9. The move ends an experiment that lasted a little over two years, one that many analysts felt might be ill-fated to begin with.
Watch a promo about the change back to HBO Max
HBO Max was the former (although not original) name of the streaming service, but when WBD launched Max in 2023, it chopped the HBO off the name. The motivation behind the change was to make sure that viewers knew that the streamer also included on-demand programming from WBD’s cable channels, including titles like “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” from Food Network and home improvement titles from HGTV.
Whether or not dropping HBO from the title of the streaming service led more viewers to watch the streamer’s slate of leanback programming is certainly debatable. WBD CEO David Zaslav recently revealed that around 25% of viewership on the service came from the company’s cable networks — a decent share of views, but not enough to justify the removal of the HBO premium brand from the name.
The shift back to the HBO Max name likely won’t be too jarring for customers; most continued to refer to the streamer by that name even after it became known simply as Max. But considering the service is about to become the crown jewel of the slimmed-down Streaming & Studios division, it’s not at all surprising that WBD wants to remind as many people as possible that it’s the platform where they can stream all of the premium HBO content they love.
We’d love to hear your thoughts on the name change for HBO Max. Were you confused by the dropping of HBO in the first place? Do you think Max was a better name for the service? Let us know in the comments section below.
HBO Max
HBO Max is a subscription video streaming service that gives access to the full HBO library and 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. Within HBO Max, B/R Sports allows users to watch live NBA, MLB, NHL, March Madness, and NASCAR events.