HBO Max Name Returns After Two Years as Max - MacRumors
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HBO Max Name Returns After Two Years as Max

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

hbo max
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.

Tag: HBO Max

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Top Rated Comments

T
timber
11 months ago
Hear me out.

What about "HBO"?

I know. Mind blowing.
Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MakaniKai Avatar
MakaniKai
11 months ago
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
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
C
CarpalMac
11 months ago
A department somewhere within HBO has far too much money allocated...
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
O
omenatarhuri
11 months ago
Next up, drop the max
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Z
zedsdead
11 months ago
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).
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
W
wikiverse
11 months ago

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.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
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