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Max Officially Re-Rebranded Back to HBO Max as Identity Crisis Ends

Warner Bros. Discovery made it official: today's the day streamer Max was re-rebranded back to HBO Max. For good. Seriously. We think...

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Article Summary

  • Warner Bros. Discovery has officially renamed the Max streaming service back to HBO Max as of today.
  • The move restores the HBO brand, aiming to capitalize on its prestige and global recognition.
  • Max was originally created to distance the streamer from HBO's "prestige" image, but business strategy shifted.
  • WBD is restructuring into two companies: Streaming & Studios and Global Networks, leading to major changes.

The word came down from David Zaslav, President and CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD), JB Perrette, President and CEO of Streaming, and Casey Bloys, Chairman and CEO of HBO and Max Content, back in May. Some time this summer, the streaming service Max will be going back to its original name, HBO Max. "The powerful growth we have seen in our global streaming service is built around the quality of our programming. Today, we are bringing back HBO, the brand that represents the highest quality in media, to further accelerate that growth in the years ahead," Zaslav shared about the decision when it first went public. After rumblings that Wednesday, July 9th, would be that day, WBD made it official that today marks the official return to HBO Max.

HBO Max
Image: Warner Bros. Discovery

Why was the decision made in the first place to change the name from HBO Max to Max? Originally, Zaslav and his team wanted to keep a clear line drawn between HBO and how it's perceived as a home for more "prestige" programming and the streamer, which carries a whole lot of different content for a whole lot of folks. While understandable at the time, shifting potential business plans and the growing strength of HBO have apparently brought about a reconsideration, especially in light of the move made in June that WBD would be splitting into two companies.

A  month after that decision was announced, WBD confirmed the rumblings that it would be splitting into two companies: Streaming & Studios and Global Networks (a move similar to Comcast and how it's shifting its cable networks away from NBCUniversal and into its own company, Versant). Here's how things are being divided up:

Streaming & Studios: Warner Bros. Television, Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group, DC Studios, HBO and HBO Max (including international sports offering), Warner Bros. Games, Tours, Retail and Experiences, and studio production facilities in Burbank and Leavesden. Zaslav will serve as President and CEO.

Global Networks: Entertainment, sports, and news television brands, including CNN, TNT Sports in the U.S., and Discovery, top free-to-air channels across Europe, and digital products such as the Discovery+ streaming service, CNN's upcoming streaming service, and Bleacher Report (B/R). Gunnar Wiedenfels, CFO of Warner Bros. Discovery, will serve as President and CEO of Global Networks.

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Ray FlookAbout Ray Flook

Serving as Television Editor since 2018, Ray began five years earlier as a contributing writer/photographer before being brought onto the core BC team in 2017.
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