What you need to know
- Max is ditching the “Max” name and going back to HBO Max this summer—less than two years after switching it up.
- This will be the second time the service has changed its name in just three years—first launched as HBO Max in 2020, replacing HBO Now and separate from HBO Go.
- The company is focusing on high-quality TV over a massive library.
Warner Bros. Discovery has announced that Max is getting its old name back. The streaming service is heading back to being called HBO Max, like it never left.
Just two years after ditching the HBO Max name, it’s coming back. At Wednesday’s Upfront event, the company confirmed the switch will happen this summer.
The upcoming name change marks the platform’s second identity crisis in just three years. Back in May 2020, when it was still under WarnerMedia, the streaming service launched as HBO Max, replacing HBO Now (its standalone streaming option since 2014) while keeping it separate from HBO Go (its old cable-authenticated VOD service that’s since been retired).
“More content” wasn’t the answer
At launch, WarnerMedia promised HBO Max would deliver everything HBO has to offer and then some.
HBO Max also packed in content from the rest of WarnerMedia’s lineup, including DC Comics, Cartoon Network, and more. Still, the real hook was being able to stream HBO’s top-shelf lineup without needing cable.
When Max ditched the HBO name in 2023, it left everyone scratching their heads. Suddenly, apps on platforms like Google TV showed up as just “Max,” confusing subscribers who wondered where their HBO content went.
Warner Bros. Discovery claimed that the goal was to broaden the brand’s appeal beyond just HBO’s prestige TV crowd. No more HBO in the name meant the service could push reality shows, kids’ content, and blockbuster movies without feeling tied to HBO’s highbrow reputation.
A lesson in brand loyalty
Turns out, viewers weren’t shy about hating the name change. Despite Warner Bros. Discovery’s grand plans, dropping HBO rubbed fans the wrong way, and many saw it as ditching the prestige that made the platform special in the first place.
Now, the company is course-correcting. Instead of chasing a “quantity over quality” approach with a sprawling library of random content, it’s doubling down on high-end, must-watch TV.
Bringing back the HBO name is a key move in Warner Bros. Discovery’s plan to grow its global subscriber base. The company believes that reintroducing the HBO brand on Max will make it crystal clear to subscribers what kind of high-quality content they can expect.