Warner Bros. Discovery has announced that its streaming service, Max, will once again be rebranded as HBO Max, with the name change set for this summer. This decision, revealed during a presentation in New York, aims to restore the recognizable HBO branding, which has evolved over the years as the company navigated the streaming landscape. To mark the announcement, Warner Bros. shared humorous memes on social media, including one featuring a pigeon on the WB water tower and another referencing the Spider-Man meme with three cartoon Supermen.
HBO’s journey through various streaming names began in 2010 with “HBO Go,” followed by “HBO Now” in 2014, and the introduction of “HBO Max” in 2020, which eventually simplified to “Max” in 2023. The reversion back to “HBO Max” is seen as a strategic move to better align with the company’s current direction and to underscore its commitment to delivering high-quality content. Casey Bloys, chairman and CEO of content for HBO and Max, stated that the HBO brand clearly conveys the promise of unique, premium content worth subscription fees.
David Zaslav, CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery, added that the HBO name symbolizes the highest quality in media. The company has experienced a significant increase in profitability in its streaming division, with a 22 million subscriber growth over two years. Looking ahead, Warner Bros. aims to attract an additional 150 million paid subscribers by 2026. The focus will shift towards box office films, docuseries, specific reality shows, and original programming, while scaling back on genres that garner less engagement.
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