What’s old is suddenly new again when it comes to HBO Max. Now known as Max, but initially known as HBO Max, the Warner Bros. Discovery streamer will once again be called HBO Max.
The news was announced during Warner Bros. Discovery’s Upfronts presentation on Wednesday.
The change comes two years after Warner Bros. Discovery rebranded what was then HBO Max to Max following a merger between WarnerMedia and Discovery to form WBD in 2022. That shift came two years after the company rebranded its streaming arm to HBO Max in 2020, straying away from its previous name, HBO Now, which the company launched in 2015.
Read on for HBO’s reasonings for the name change and how social media has responded to the news.
Warner Bros. Discovery says the change was “influenced by changing consumer needs”
According to a news release obtained by Blavity, Warner Bros. Discovery explained that the decision to return to the HBO Max brand was multi-layered, citing the success of WBD’s streaming services and shifts in consumer behavior.
“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,” the release reads. “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.”
The release went on to explain that reintegrating HBO into the brand “will further drive the service forward and amplify the uniqueness that subscribers can expect from the offering.” The transformation is described as an indication of the company’s comfort with change inspired by “consumer data and insights.”
“The powerful growth we have seen in our global streaming service is built around the quality of our programming,” Warner Bros. Discovery President and CEO David Zaslav said in a statement. “Today, we are bringing back HBO, the brand that represents the highest quality in media, to further accelerate that growth in the years ahead.”
JB Perrette, president and CEO of streaming for Warner Bros. Discovery, emphasized that the company will continue to champion content that sets it apart.
“We will continue to focus on what makes us unique – not everything for everyone in a household, but something distinct and great for adults and families,” he said. “It’s really not subjective, not even controversial – our programming just hits different.”
Casey Bloys, chairman and CEO of HBO and Max Content, explained that the new name better encapsulates the streamer’s bottom line.
“With the course we are on and strong momentum we are enjoying, we believe HBO Max far better represents our current consumer proposition,” he said. “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.”
Social media pokes fun at HBO for its numerous name changes
It didn’t take long for news of HBO’s new name to hit social media, and users were quick to poke fun at the company for its frequent (and numerous) name changes.
One user claimed that the rebrand was caused by “one powerful exec who thought it would be a great idea contra every single piece of internal research.”
“Just one singular guy on a power trip,” they shared.
HBO joins in on the internet commentary
Meanwhile, HBO is leaning into the internet commentary. The company has shared several memes and messages on social media addressing confusion surrounding its latest rebrand.
Max will officially be rebranded as HBO Max this summer.
