The streaming service known as Max is returning to its founding name of HBO Max. In 2023, HBO Max's name was cut to Max. The story of why the change happened in 2023 in the first place was because of the 2022 finalization of the merger or more purchase of Warner Bros. by Discovery after a cellular provider named AT&T decided to wash their hands of owning a media company. Discovery as a company and Warner Media (name before this) were totally different media companies. It was quite strange that the company that owned channels that made unscripted shows where people are naked and dumped somewhere to be afraid and viewers watch the pixelated ness, or whatever the heck TLC is doing, or people hunting for houses on HGTV, or watching ghosts be explored on Travel Channel, would be owning a company that has multiple different facets including a channel that does the news, and HBO. The idea that HBO Max, the streaming service, would also be the home of Investigation Discovery's programming about the seedy underbelly or our society was a strange thought. The Discovery corporate people felt that too. The ended up keeping their service, Discovery+ , but also decided to make HBO Max more "broad".
I personally don't hate the Max name, it also would be a good name to name a kid too. Max was also a great character on the series "Hart to Hart', and "Mighty Max" was a good show. The name wasn't bad, generic sure, but we have cable networks with generic names. Food Network, owned by this combined company, is an example. Many were attached to the HBO part of that name being on there. Some had thought HBO was dead or being devalued, when it really wasn't.
The app and website was the dual replacement of HBO GO which was HBO's service for people who paid for it on cable , use their user name and password and watch HBO...on the GO. This is why if you have HBO on your service and pay for it you can just go to max dot com (or right here ) and sign in with that you didn't have to pay extra for it, since you are loyal to the linear channel. It was the replacement for HBO Now , as well, where one could get HBO direct to consumer to watch without needing [Insert cable company here] to pay HBO.
HBO MAX was more than just HBO, hence the max there. They had added shows like "Friends", "Big Bang Theory", "South Park" (which isn't owned by a Warner company), "Ben 10" and more things from different Warner owned networks and divisions. There lies a branding fault. HBO had made itself known since the late 90's as the network that still ran movies, but created shows like "The Sparanos", "Sex and the City", "Game of Thrones", and more. Shows with swearing , nudity, violence, making sure TV-MA was used like nobody's business. It wasn't a broadcast network where an oft swear could get them a fine, or a basic cable network where it might bristle and advertiser if someone was full naked un-censored between ads for Lincolns and pills. That image was so well known, many also forgot that they also just run movies all the time, has a HBO Family channel, and used to be the home of "Fraggle Rock. So much that when "Sesame Street" was picked up in 2015 there were jokes that Sesame Street was going to have Big Bird swearing like a sailor and Elmo's fur be redder because of blood.
