After almost two years under the moniker “Max,” Warner Bros. Discovery has decided to pull a 180-degree turn and rename the streaming service back to the original name, because that’s just how that works. Max will now become “HBO Max.”
Streaming has changed tremendously in the past few years, largely due to the pandemic and ensuing shifts in streaming values. Users are demanding more from streaming services and looking for high-quality content from the countless services available.
According to Warner Bros. Discovery, the Max app is going to return to “HBO Max,” which was the original name prior to mid-2023. The company mentions that the switch will happen “this summer,” but there are no further details on exact timing.
The app on Google TV and other platforms was switched to Max in 2023, and it was met with plenty of confusion. Warner Bros. noted that the switch represented a change in how the streaming service wanted to present itself to audiences. By dropping “HBO,” Max was well-positioned to deliver content to more audiences.
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. It’s really not subjective, not even controversial – our programming just hits different.
Two years later, WBD has decided to return to a narrower focus. The company’s press release explicitly mentions delivering content that’s specialzied. It remains to be seen what that actually means.
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.
There is no information on whether or not the company will bring back the old HBO Max app design, since the shift to Max meant an entirely new streaming app for every OS. The previous switch presented a hurdle for viewers who just want to watch content without downloading something new.
The company playfully made fun of itself in reply to a post on Twitter/X about the change, poking fun at the fact that it changed its mind so quickly.
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