HBO Max Name Returns After Two Years as Max

[MacRumors]

Warner Bros. Discovery has completed its reversal from Max back to HBO Max today, marking the end of a widely criticized two-year experiment.

The streaming service's website and mobile apps now display the HBO Max branding once again. Max.com redirects to hbomax.com, while both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store have updated their listings. Users won't need to download a new app, as existing installations will automatically update to show the HBO Max name.

The App Store update includes a cheeky note: "Same app. New-ish name. The plot twist everyone has been waiting for: Max is now HBO Max."

This change reverses the 2023 rebrand that dropped the HBO name in favor of the generic "Max" moniker. The original decision aimed to incorporate Discovery content following the companies' merger, but the move faced immediate backlash from subscribers and industry observers.

Warner Bros. Discovery acknowledged the misstep in May, citing consumer feedback and the strength of the HBO brand's reputation for quality content. The company said it wanted to focus on "something distinct and great" rather than trying to be "everything for everyone."

The streaming service has now cycled through HBO Go, HBO Now, HBO, HBO Max, Max, and back to HBO Max again.

Article Link: HBO Max Name Returns After Two Years as Max

 

[zedsdead]

What they really need to do is support the Native Apple TV APIs for the remote (which they had, got rid of, brought back and then removed again when Max happened).

 

[CarpalMac]

A department somewhere within HBO has far too much money allocated...

 

[MakaniKai]

I never understood the change to begin with. They took one of the most recognizable acronyms around, "HBO", and just ...dropped it. Nobody is gonna recognize "max" lol

 

[timber]

Hear me out.

What about "HBO"?

I know. Mind blowing.

 

[racerhomie]

Yes!! Love this change back

Welcome back HBO!

 

[uller6]

This entire escapade was quite silly.

 

[wikiverse]

I never understood the change to begin with. They took one of the most recognizable acronyms around, "HBO", and just ...dropped it. Nobody is gonna recognize "max" lol

What about "HBO"?

Because the service is a mix of WB/HBO/Discovery Network content. The overwhelming majority of the service is Discovery/TLC/HGTV/Cartoon Network shows, which really don't fit with the HBO branding and image. HBO originals are the smallest catalogue of shows on the platform.

Most people don't associate Ben10, 90 Day Fiance, and Fixer to Fabulous with HBO. The mistake wasn't changing the name to MAX, it was merging the different D+ and HBOmax platforms into one, instead of offering them separately but also as a bundle.

 

[Shalev Lazarof]

What about just HBO? WTH.

 

[WLS]

It will always be DiscoMax in my heart!

 

[omenatarhuri]

Next up, drop the max

 

[Peitjah Puck]

I have another option for HBO when they feel ready for another switch again: HBO Ultra. 😂

 

[bluecoast]

You can bet their marketing and branding agency got paid a lot for this debacle

 

[MakaniKai]

Because the service is a mix of WB/HBO/Discovery Network content. The overwhelming majority of the service is Discovery/TLC/HGTV/Cartoon Network shows, which really don't fit with the HBO branding and image. HBO originals are the smallest catalogue of shows on the platform.

Most people don't associate Ben10, 90 Day Fiance, and Fixer to Fabulous with HBO. The mistake wasn't changing the name to MAX, it was merging the different D+ and HBOmax platforms into one, instead of offering them separately but also as a bundle.

Thanks for the insight! I will admit I've never used the service. I'm not much of a TV junkie. YouTube is my top video platform by far.

 

[Reelmower]

Because the service is a mix of WB/HBO/Discovery Network content. The overwhelming majority of the service is Discovery/TLC/HGTV/Cartoon Network shows, which really don't fit with the HBO branding and image. HBO originals are the smallest catalogue of shows on the platform.

Most people don't associate Ben10, 90 Day Fiance, and Fixer to Fabulous with HBO. The mistake wasn't changing the name to MAX, it was merging the different D+ and HBOmax platforms into one, instead of offering them separately but also as a bundle.

Agreed. The whole merger with Discovery makes no sense to me and then putting the Discovery CEO in charge resulted in leaning strongly into trash.

 

[Blackstick]

Our company spent millions with a marketing firm on a tweaked logo that debuts this Fall 🙄. It’s utterly worse in every way from the current one which is just 5 years old, but I’m just the system engineer that gets to splatter those fugly PNGs across every internal system.

I assume I’ll be changing it again, soon enough.

 

[n-evo]

Never even changed here in the Netherlands. 🤷‍♂️

 

[cicalinarrot]

They changed their names about as much as Diddy and I hope the similarities stop here.

 

[superblockio]

It will always be DiscoMax in my heart!

I believe my friends and I called it Hobo Nouns back when it was HBO Now

 

[neliason]

They need to break up the parent company. They obviously have way too much money and power if they can do this.

 

[DougiePhresh]

They need to break up the parent company. They obviously have way too much money and power if they can do this.

Any company can change any name of any of their products whenever they want - it has nothing to do with having “too much power.” What are you even talking about?

 

[WarmWinterHat]

They need to break up the parent company. They obviously have way too much money and power if they can do this.

There are plenty of reason to think a company is too powerful, but being able to change their name isn't one of them.

Parent company is Warner Brothers/Discovery.

 

[Yr Blues]

Marketing is a dumb beast.

 

[Wanted797]

Hear me out.

What about "HBO"?

I know. Mind blowing.

The my/max/plus additions to everything need to stop.

I searched “my” on my phone and got 7 apps popup. Just call your app what it is!

 

[tubular]

I never understood the change to begin with. They took one of the most recognizable acronyms around, "HBO", and just ...dropped it. Nobody is gonna recognize "max" lol

Because David Zaslav is an idiot in a business he doesn’t understand.