Warner Bros. Discovery, a media conglomerate, recently announced a rebranding. The entertainment company has decided to rebrand Max as HBO Max. This was the name the brand was known by before it previously rebranded as Max. The brand name change will become official over the summer.
The rebranding is part of a restructuring initiative within Warner Bros. Discovery. Warner Bros. Discovery is striving to build on its strengths and respond to consumer interests. The conglomerate is addressing social media commentary about the brand change with self-awareness and humor.
About Warner Bros. Discovery
The Warner Bros. Discovery company focuses on entertainment and media. Its website states that it “creates and distributes the world’s most differentiated portfolio of content.” This content comes in television, streaming, and movie formats. Warner Bros. Discovery’s wide array of programming is offered in fifty languages. Brands within the portfolio of Warner Bros. Discovery include Food Network, Animal Planet, and TBS.
Return to HBO Max
Another brand under the auspices of Warner Bros. Discovery is Max. This brand will soon be renamed to HBO Max. The Warner Bros. Discovery website explains that the change is set to occur during the summer. HBO Max is a name the brand has previously used. According to NPR, the brand’s name became Max after a merger that happened in 2022. This merger was between Discovery, Inc. and WarnerMedia. CNN states: “The company originally rebranded the service as HBO Max in 2020.”
Max/HBO Max is a brand of which the conglomerate is particularly proud. The website states that this brand “delivers the most unique and captivating stories.” The brand’s offerings range from scripted programming to news. The company’s website states that “HBO Max is the destination for prestigious entertainment brands.” HBO and Max Originals are two brands included under the HBO Max umbrella. Also included are beloved television programs such as “Friends.”
Rationale for Rebranding Decision
Warner Bros. Discovery states the rebranding is to “amplify the uniqueness that subscribers can expect.” It is part of a restructuring process that focuses on building on the company’s strengths. There will be an emphasis on Max and HBO programming that has worked well. Consumer input is being taken into account. For instance, there has been a noted consumer prioritization of “better content” over “more content.” In addition to signaling a programming restructuring effort, the rebranding also responds to previous commentary. NPR states that the name Max “never really caught on.”
General Reactions
According to Variety, the “naming flip-flopping… has caused more than a little confusion among consumers.” The brand’s name is being changed back just two years after its change to Max. The Warner Bros. Discovery company has approached reactions to the change with perspective and humor. Variety reports: “The social media team… knew the internet would have a field day.”
There has been a reaction on social media to the upcoming change. NPR states: “The announcement was greeted with considerable social media mockery.” Warner Bros. Discovery has chosen a self-aware approach to addressing the social media reaction. The company has, according to NPR, poked “fun at its… identity crisis and public reaction.”
Brand Name Change Overview
The HBO (Home Box Office) cable television channel was created in 1972. The channel experienced a productive time of programming during the 1990s. It then expanded into more channels. These channels included HBO Latino and HBO Family. The streaming service HBO Go was created in 2010. HBO Go was only available with a cable subscription. Then, HBO Now offered streaming on its own. This service could be accessed without having a cable subscription.
The streaming service HBO Now was launched in 2015. The change from HBO Now to HBO Max happened in 2020. After a company merger in 2022, there was another brand name change. This 2023 brand name change was from HBO Max to Max. Now, the Warner Bros. Discovery company is changing Max back to HBO Max. This summer is when the latest brand name change will become official.
