Streaming service Max is yet again changing its name, but users will be familiar with the new branding: HBO Max.
The decision was announced Wednesday by Warner Bros. Discovery during a presentation in New York. The change in name is slated for this summer.
The change restores the recognizable HBO branding, which has been on something of an adventure ever since the early days of streaming services. It's something the company leaned into on Wednesday, publishing a series of posts to social media poking fun at their own expense.
In one meme, a pigeon sits atop the famous WB water tower as white smoke billows from a chimney — a reference to the recent conclave to select a new pope. “A new brand has been chosen,” the description reads.
In another meme, three cartoon Supermen point at each other, a nod to the famous Spider-Man meme. (Superman, unlike Spider-Man, is owned by Warner Bros. Discovery.)
In 2010, HBO called its streaming service "HBO Go." In 2014, the company rebranded the next iteration of a subscription streaming service to "HBO Now." In 2020, HBO first added the "Max" title to become "HBO Max" as it launched an independent streaming service. The branding had been introduced a year earlier. Then, in 2023, the company announced it would drop the "HBO" and simply be known as "Max." Now, the company is reverting back to the "HBO Max" name.
"With the course we are on and strong momentum we are enjoying, we believe HBO Max far better represents our current consumer proposition. And it clearly states our implicit promise to deliver content that is recognized as unique and, to steal a line we always said at HBO, worth paying for," said Casey Bloys, chairman and CEO of HBO and Max content, in a statement.
Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav said in a statement that the company decided to reintroduce the HBO moniker because it "represents the highest quality in media."
Warner Bros. Discovery isn’t just changing the name of “Max.” It also plans to re-launch a streaming service for CNN. CNN previously launched CNN+ in April 2022 but it shuttered just one month later. CNN’s new streaming platform will roll out this fall.
In a news release, Warner Bros. Discovery said that its streaming business was able to increase profitability in the last two years, expanding its global streaming base by 22 million subscribers. It also said it was seeking to have another 150 million paid customers by the end of 2026.
The company said it plans to prioritize box office movies, docuseries, certain reality series and original content while moving away from other genres that drive less engagement.
