HBO Max is dead. Long live….Max.
Or to paraphrase a memorable ‘90s advertising campaign, it’s not TV. Its…Max.
Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) has officially announced Max as the new name of its streaming platform at a press event. The newly named platform will go live on May 23, and will feature material from Discovery+ , as well as the libraries of HBO and WBD-owned properties such as Turner Classic Movies, The Cartoon Network, TBS and more.
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Additionally, WBD CEO David Zaslav promised there will be an average of more than 40 new titles and TV show seasons every month.
Max will cost $15.99 a month for the ad-free version and $9.99 per month for the ad-supported tier. An“ultimate” ad-free version with 4K UHD resolution, 100 offline downloads and Dolby Atmos sound will be available for $19.99 a month.
Wither HBO?
The term HBO Max was introduced in 2019 when WarnerMedia was still part of AT&T. HBO Max debuted in the summer of 2020, eventually replacing HBO Go, the streaming arm of the premium cable giant. But plans changed last year, following the $43 billion merger between Warner Bros. and Discovery, which saw Zaslav take over as CEO.
HBO has long been the most respected brand name in television, a place for boundary-pushing shows like “The Wire” and “The Sopranos.” So moving away from such a storied name seems like a bit of a puzzling move, though analysts have long pointed out that HBO doesn’t have much name recognition outside of America, and WBD is aiming for a streaming service that is as globally popular as Netflix and Disney+.
Additionally, JB Perrette, president and CEO of global streaming and games for Warner Bros. Discovery, explained that the company wants to put on a more family-friendly face.
“We all love HBO, and it’s a brand that has been built over five decades” to stand for “edgy, groundbreaking entertainment for adults,” he said at the event. “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.”
At the same time, “we also want to honor and embrace where we’ve come from,” Perette added, calling it the “most iconic, trailblazing brand in entertainment. HBO is not TV. HBO is HBO. It needs to stay that way. Which is why we will privilege it in the product experience and also not push it to the breaking point by forcing it to take on the full breadth of this new content proposition.”
Instead, HBO will live on as a brand name inside of Max, similar to the way FX now exists as a hub inside of Hulu. Existing HBO Max customers won’t have to do anything to sign up for the new service, and their accounts and viewing histories will be included in the transition.
Discovery+ will continue on as a stand-alone service that you can continue subscribing to on its own.
More Spin-Offs On The Way
Additionally, Zaslav seems to have decided that no piece of Warner Bros intellectual property will go unexploited, as Max must have recognizable content.
So at the same event where the name change was announced, WBD announced another Game of Thrones spin-off, “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight,” which will be a prequel and completely separate from last year’s hit “House of the Dragon.”
“The Penguin,” a spin-off series based on last year's hit “The Batman,” is on the way, produced by Matt Reeves and starring Colin Farrell.
But that’s not the only brand extension in the works. There’s also a spin-off of “The Big Bang Theory” in development, and Jodie Foster will star in the upcoming “True Detective.”
Also, WBD has confirmed that a “Harry Potter” television series is in development, featuring none of the original actors. Each season will be tied to a specific book, so the series will run at least seven seasons.
While J.K. Rowling’s vocal anti-trans views have damaged some fans’ love for Harry and company, Casey Bloys, chairman and CEO of HBO & Max Content doesn’t sound concerned, though he declines to comment specifically on Rowling’s views.
“J.K. is an executive producer, and her insights will be helpful. We are in the ‘Harry Potter’ business. The TV show is new and exciting, but we’ve been in the Harry Potter business for 20 years; this isn’t a new decision,” said Bloys.
“We’re comfortable being in the Potter business. J.K. is a very online conversation … it’s very nuanced and complicated and not something we’re going to get into. Our priority is what’s onscreen. The Harry Potter story is incredibly affirmative and positive about love and acceptance, and that’s our priority, what’s on the screen.”
