Max Is Changing Its Name to (Get This!) HBO Max

Today is not April 1 and this is not The Onion: The Warner Bros. Discovery-owned streamer formerly known as HBO Max, and currently known as just Max, is changing its name to … HBO Max. No, really. After spending multiple years and many millions of dollars trying to convince consumers (and TV industry reporters) that using “HBO” in the name of its flagship TV service was too limiting and no longer ideal, WBD chief David Zaslav will announce a full retreat from the Max-ification of HBO Wednesday morning at his company’s upfront presentation to advertisers. The official name change will take place this summer.

In a press release explaining the rationale for this latest, latest rebranding, WBD said this “evolution” came after months of Max paring down its offering to “de-prioritizing other genres that drive less engagement or acquisition,” including recently removing hundreds of hours of the Discovery-branded reality shows that the Max name was meant to encompass. “No consumer today is saying they want more content, but most consumers are saying they want better content,” WBD’s release said. “With other services filling the more basic needs with volume, WBD has clearly distinguished itself through its quality and distinct stories, and no brand has done that better and more consistently over 50+ years than HBO.”

And in a sentence that may well earn a Corporate Spin Hall of Fame award, WBD called its decision “a testament to WBD’s willingness to keep boldly iterating its strategy and approach — leaning heavily on consumer data and insights — to best position itself for success.” Or, perhaps, to position it for the inevitable decision to merge HBO Max with another streaming service a few years down the road.

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