Max is Going to Be HBO Max Again

Two years after changing the name of HBO Max to just Max, Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) is reversing its decision. Starting this summer, Max is going to be rebranded as HBO Max.

hbo max
It turns out that it may have been a bad idea dropping the well-recognized HBO brand name from the Max streaming service and opting for a much more generic name. In a blog post explaining the decision, WBD says that the HBO brand is best known for its consistent, high-quality content, which is what the company wants to focus on.

This evolution has also been influenced by changing consumer needs, and the fact that no consumer today is saying they want more content, but most consumers are saying they want better content. With other services filling the more basic needs with volume, WBD has clearly distinguished itself through its quality and distinct stories, and no brand has done that better and more consistently over 50+ years than HBO.

WBD says that the decision to go back to HBO Max demonstrates the company's willingness to use "consumer data and insights" to "position itself for success," suggesting the name change and the effort to include Discovery content for a wider audience wasn't popular with customers.

WBD Streaming CEO JB Perrette said that going forward, HBO Max won't provide "everything for everyone," but "something distinct and great for adults and families."

The HBO service has undergone several rebranding efforts over the years. The first HBO streaming service was known as HBO Go, and it later became HBO Now. HBO Now was rebranded as just HBO, and then it became HBO Max. After that it was just Max, and now we're back to HBO Max.

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Top Rated Comments

macduke Avatar
6 weeks ago
MacRumors forum members, yet again, showing they know what's up.



Attachment Image
Score: 41 Votes (Like | Disagree)
moabal Avatar
6 weeks ago
Courage!

Their consultants are getting paid!
Score: 26 Votes (Like | Disagree)
paul4339 Avatar
6 weeks ago
Best idea ever… very innovative!
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
szw-mapple fan Avatar
6 weeks ago

The problem with naming it HBO Max is it contains content from other Warner Bros. properties such as Warner Bros., Discovery, CNN, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, Animal Planet, TBS, TNT, Eurosport.
Maybe name it HBO & Friends? :p
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Aichon Avatar
6 weeks ago

The HBO service has undergone several rebranding efforts over the years. The first HBO streaming service was known as HBO Go, and it later became HBO Now. HBO Now was rebranded as just HBO, and then it became HBO Max. After that it was just Max, and now we're back to HBO Max.
Their branding has been so bad that this statement—as bad as it is—is actually incorrect because the truth is even more convoluted.

HBO Go was for HBO (cable) subscribers to access to HBO cable content they were already paying for, but through a mobile app at no additional charge.

HBO Now was a distinct streaming service that was available to non-cable subscribers, and provided access to HBO cable content without an HBO cable subscription.

HBO Max was a distinct streaming service that was available to everyone, and provided access to HBO cable content + HBO Max exclusives with or without an HBO cable subscription.

There was a brief window in 2020 where HBO Go, HBO Now, and HBO Max all existed alongside each other as distinct services that someone could be subscribed to, before HBO Max (later Max, later still HBO Max) eventually ate them all. I might enjoy HBO Go as a cable subscriber, and then additionally subscribe to HBO Max so that I could enjoy HBO Max exclusives, while my neighbor only did HBO Now so that they could enjoy HBO cable content without having to subscribe to cable. Loads of articles like this one ('https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and-software/hbo-max-vs-hbo-now-vs-hbo-go-what-are-differences-how-do-you-upgrade-friends-elmo-roku-amazon-fire-tv/') popped up at the time to help explain the mess.

Clear as mud?
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Jack Burton Avatar
6 weeks ago
The person behind this naming it "MAX" will either:

* Remain employed and get a giant bonus for this
* Get fired and get a golden parachute, then a get new job at a similar company where they will do it all again
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)