Streaming platform Max is going back to its original name HBO Max after just over two years. More on the news below.
No one really understood why HBO Max became just Max in 2023. HBO has been one of the biggest names in quality TV for a good few decades, but what David Zaslav wants, David Zaslav gets, it seems.
Variety is now reporting that Warner Bros. Discovery has decided to return to the old name. This summer, Max will once again be known as HBO Max as announced during the company’s presentation to ad executives in New York.
In a statement, the company said “returning the HBO brand into HBO Max will further drive the service forward and amplify the uniqueness that subscribers can expect from the offering. It is also a testament to WBD’s willingness to keep boldly iterating its strategy and approach — leaning heavily on consumer data and insights — to best position itself for success.”
The platform is home to some of the best shows on TV right now, such as The Pitt, The Last Of Us, Hacks and Peacemaker. Out of those examples, only The Last Of Us is technically under HBO, while the others are ‘Max Originals’. The streamer recently also changed its logo to a grey one, which was eerily similar shade to the original HBO logo. Presumably a new logo will be created for HBO Max now that the change is officially happening.
The original thinking behind taking HBO out of the name was to make it clear that the platform offers something for everyone, not just for those wanting prestige programming. It caused a lot of confusion initially – this writer still couldn’t tell you what the difference is without a little help from Google – and it seems that Warner Bros. Discovery has had to admit the move might not have been the most business savvy one to make.
“The powerful growth we have seen in our global streaming service is built around the quality of our programming. Today, we are bringing back HBO, the brand that represents the highest quality in media, to further accelerate that growth in the years ahead,” David Zaslav said.
