NEW YORK — HBO is returning — at least in a name.
Warner Bros. Discovery said Wednesday that it is rebranding its streaming service as HBO Max this summer, instead of the current Max.
What You Need To Know
- Warner Bros. Discovery says it is changing the name of its Max streaming service to HBO Max later this summer
- Following the merger of Discovery with Warner two years ago, assets were combined in a streaming service known as Max, doing away with the HBO Max streaming brand that Warner had been using
- At the time, it was considered an odd choice: HBO is widely seen as representing quality content, while Max — a reference to the Cinemax network — is less well-regarded
- Advertisers told of the change at a presentation on Wednesday loudly applauded the move
The Max name dated to Warner's merger with Discovery and was considered a curious choice when made in 2023. HBO is widely considered a gold standard for quality while Max was a reference to the less well-regarded Cinemax network.
Two years later, the company is reviving the HBO Max name, which was used by Warner before the merger. While the company didn't acknowledge a mistake, the move was loudly applauded Wednesday when announced at a presentation to advertisers.
"The powerful growth we have seen in our global streaming service is built around the quality of our programming," said David Zaslav, president and CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery. "Today, we are bringing back HBO, the brand that represents the highest quality in media, to further accelerate that growth in the years ahead."
Now, HBO executive Casey Bloys told advertisers, he has a desk drawer full of old stationery that he can use again.