HBO Max Name Returns After Two Years as Max
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.
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