Warner Bros. Discovery officially announced that HBO Max will be rebranded as Max on May 23, 2023.
The company announced the name change at a press event Wednesday, where it also revealed a slate of upcoming projects. “Max is the one to watch,” WBD CEO David Zaslav said on stage at the event. WBD is reportedly committed to adding an average of more than 40 new titles and TV show seasons every month to Max.
The three subscription tiers for Max were also unveiled:
- Max Ad-Lite ($9.99/month or $99.99/year): Two concurrent streams, 1080p HD resolution, no offline downloads, 5.1 surround sound quality
- Max Ad Free ($15.99/month or $149.99/year): Two concurrent streams, 1080p HD, up to 30 offline downloads, 5.1 surround sound quality
- Max Ultimate Ad Free ($19.99/month or $199.99/year): Four concurrent streams, up to 4K Ultra HD resolution, 100 offline downloads, Dolby Atmos sound quality
As for why WBD decided to drop “HBO” from the “HBO Max” name, JB Perrette, President and CEO of Global Streaming and Games for Warner Bros. Discovery, said that part of the reason was to preserve the HBO brand. “We all love HBO, and it’s a brand that has been built over five decades” to stand for “edgy, groundbreaking entertainment for adults,” Perrette said. “But it’s not exactly where parents would most eagerly drop off their kids. And yet Warner Bros. Discovery has some of the best-known kids’ characters, animation and brands in the industry. Not surprisingly, the category has not met his true potential on HBO Max.”
Current HBO Max subscribers will likely not recognize Max when it launches, with WBD completely rebuilding the platform so that it is easier to use. These changes include more simplified navigation as well as more personalization features. Max will also include a new default kids’ profile and parental controls.
Newly announced titles coming to Max include Harry Potter, a faithful adaptation of the beloved original book series by J.K. Rowling, who will serve as executive producer; a The Big Bang Theory spinoff series; Game of Thrones prequel A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight; a drama series that will be part of The Conjuring Universe; Magnolia Network’s Fixer Upper: The Hotel; Discovery Channel’s Survive the Raft; Adult Swim’s Rick and Morty: The Anime; and Cartoon Network’s Tiny Toons Looniversity, among others.
“From the biggest superheroes to real life champions; from culture-shaping dramas to taste-shaping entertainment; from fantastical realms to the realest of worlds, Max will offer an unrivaled range of choice,” said Perrette. “This new brand signals an important change from two narrower products, HBO Max and discovery+, to our broader content offering and consumer proposition. While each product offered something for some people, Max will have a broad array of quality choices for everybody.”
Max launches on May 23 in the U.S.
Will you be subscribing to Max?
