The HBO Max rebrand is official. Warner Bros. Discovery will change the name of HBO Max to “Max”, merging Discovery+ and HBO Max under one roof.
The “newest” streaming platform to hit the market is just the latest divisive move coming from the merger between Warner Media and Discovery last year. But, unlike the cancelation of Batgirl, among others, fans aren’t quite as opposed to the idea of the name change.
The introduction of Max will push HBO Max out of the doors completely as the app will automatically update and go by a new name on May 23. However, Warner Bros. Discovery will retain Discovery Plus as a standalone option for $4.99 a month with ads (and $6.99 a month without them). Existing subscribers don’t have to worry about anything at all as all the data from HBO Max will carry over to the new service automatically.
A single streaming app for formerly multiple entities is a nice idea and the name of choice does make sense. It remains to be seen if this new streaming service can compete with Netflix and Disney+.
For now, Warner Bros. Discovery is setting its expectations low as it hopes that its most recent strategy for HBO, Discovery Plus, and Max, can reach 130 million subscribers by 2025, which is nearly 40 million short of the combined total subscribers of the three aforementioned services.
If it’s any consolation, Max arguably has the most varied content on the market today. You’ll find very few of its competitors has shows like Dr. Pimple Popper and The Last of Us under one umbrella.
Speaking of Max, it will be the home of House of the Dragon Season 2 once it lands in two years. It’s currently in the middle of production, a process that will likely take up most of the year.
