Warner Bros. Discovery Says Max Will Become HBO Max this Summer.
May 14, 2025 - Max, the main streaming platform of Warner Bros. Discovery, will be rebranded HBO Max this summer, it was announced at the Warner Bros. Discovery Upfront presentation in New York today.
With almost $3B in just two years turning around its profitability and scaling globally with 22M subscribers added over the past year, with a clear path to over 150M+ by the end of 2026 WBD's streaming business has amazing momentum. This is the result of a lot of hard work, investment, and strategy re-focusing on the programming that is most successful like HBO, recent box-office films, docuseries, certain reality series, Max and local originals, and de-prioritizing other genres that drive less engagement or acquisition.
Changing consumer needs has also shaped this evolution; the fact that no consumer today is stating they want more content but most consumers are stating they want better content. WBD has clearly set itself apart with its quality and unique stories while other services meet more basic needs with volume; no brand has done better and more consistently over 50+ years than HBO.
Bringing the HBO name back into HBO Max will propel the service ahead and highlight the originality that users should anticipate. It is also evidence of WBD's readiness to keep boldly iterating its strategy and approach – mostly depending on consumer data and insights – to best position itself for success.
David Zaslav, President and CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery, stated, "The strong growth we've experienced in our global streaming service is driven by the quality of our programs. Today, we are bringing back HBO, the brand that epitomizes the best quality in media, to help accelerate that expansion in the coming years."
During the WBD Upfront at Madison Square Garden, JB Perrette, President and CEO of Streaming, and Casey Bloys, Chairman and CEO of HBO and Max Content, shared additional information about the imminent change.
During the WBD Upfront at Madison Square Garden, JB Perrette, President and CEO of Streaming, and Casey Bloys, Chairman and CEO of HBO and Max Content, shared additional information about the imminent change.
Perrette remarked, "We will continue to focus on what makes us unique - not everything for everyone in a family, but something distinctive and amazing for adults and families. It's not subjective or controversial; our programming just hits different notes."
Bloys: "With the trend we're on and the strong momentum we're seeing, we believe HBO Max better represents our current consumer proposition. And it clearly demonstrates our implicit promise to offer programming that is considered as unique and, to quote HBO, worth paying for."
Bloys: "With the trend we're on and the strong momentum we're seeing, we believe HBO Max better represents our current consumer proposition. And it clearly demonstrates our implicit promise to offer programming that is considered as unique and, to quote HBO, worth paying for."
HBO Max® is Warner Bros. Discovery's premium global streaming platform for the most unusual and captivating stories, including high-quality scripted programs, features, documentaries, true crime, adult animation, and live sports and news (where available). HBO Max brings together famous entertainment companies such as HBO, Warner Bros., Max Originals, DC, Harry Potter, and A24 Films, as well as iconic sitcoms like "Friends" and "The Big Bang Theory," in one location.
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