WBD changes streamer Max back to HBO Max, vows to put quality over quantity
HBO and Max released S3 of The White Lotus in March
Two years after rebranding its direct-to-consumer service to Max, Warner Bros Discovery (WBD) is reverting to the original name, HBO Max.
The name change, unveiled as part of its Upfront presentation in New York on Wednesday, comes as WBD shifts from prioritising volume – a strategy it has pursued since 2022 – back to highlighting the prestige nature of the HBO brand, according to the company. The rebrand will officially take effect this summer.
WBD said the decision had 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.”
It also took a shot at other streaming services, presumably Netflix and Amazon, that are pursuing a more general entertainment-focused strategy.
“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-plus years than HBO,” it said in a press release.
It should, however, be noted that the 2022 mega-merger of Discovery and WarnerMedia was premised on the belief that the streaming marketplace was calling for another general-purpose SVoD; in this case, one that would combine HBO’s premium scripted fare with Discovery’s lower-cost unscripted programming.
However, as Netflix has become the runaway victor in the streaming wars, rival SVoDs have recognised they are unable to compete head-to-head and have readjusted their goals accordingly.
WBD claimed the rebrand was “a testament to [its] willingness to keep boldly iterating its strategy and approach – leaning heavily on consumer data and insights – to best position itself for success.”
While WBD will no doubt be the butt of a few jokes for its U-turn, the overriding sentiment is that HBO Max is a better name, and one that plays more clearly to its strengths. Indeed, the company was happy to poke fun at itself over the change in a post on X.
The rebrand comes at a good time for the streamer, which has added more than 22 million subscribers over the past year as it has rolled out globally, hitting 122.3 million at the end of March. It is on course to surpass 150 million global subs by the end of 2026, it says. Programmes including The White Lotus, The Last of Us, Hacks and The Pitt are among the shows earning critical acclaim and strong viewership.
The subscriber growth has been driven by refocusing on “programming that is working best” such as HBO, tentpole movies, docuseries, Max and local originals and “certain” reality series, it said. It also said it is “de-prioritising other genres that drive less engagement or acquisition.”
At the Upfront presentation, Casey Bloys, chairman and CEO of HBO and Max content, said “we believe HBO Max far better represents our current consumer proposition,” while WBD president and CEO David Zaslav said the rebrand will “further accelerate” the growth of the streaming service in the years ahead.
Also during its Upfront presentation, WBD revealed a new 2025/26 programming line-up for its US cable networks, including competition series Family Recipe Showdown, hosted by Octavia Spencer, and Flavortown Games, fronted by Guy Fieri, both for Food Network.
Other newly greenlit titles include Dancing With Sharks, hosted by Tom Bergeron, for Discovery; They Know What They Did, narrated and executive produced by Jennifer Love Hewitt, for Investigation Discovery; Renovating the Bachelor Mansion for HGTV; and Heart & Hustle: Houston for OWN.
WBD also handed renewals to Food Network’s Harry Potter: Wizards of Baking, HGTV’s Ugliest House in America and Adult Swim’s Rick & Morty and My Adventures with Superman, in addition to announcing that season one of Max medical drama The Pitt would air on cablenet TNT this fall ahead of the show’s S2 premiere on Max.
The cable greenlights and renewals come after a report last week that WBD is exploring a plan to spin off its cable channels into a separate company, while leaving its studios and streaming assets together. Cable remains the company’s main profit engine – adjusted earnings of US$1.79bn in the most recent quarter – though both revenue and profits are in steep decline.
